Downtown West, designated in 2015, is Ithaca's newest local historic district. It encompasses seven residential structures, built between 1880 and 1922, on West State and South Albany Streets. Early Ithaca architect A.B. Dale, Cornell-trained architects A.B. Wood and Arthur Gibb, Ithaca architect John Wilgus, and Auburn architect John Alnutt designed these residences, which were once home to several locally prominent businessmen and a local physician. These houses are significant examples of residential architectural styles that were popular in this period, including Stick, Queen Anne, second phase Italian Renaissance Revival, and Craftsman. Today, all but one serve as prime office spaces. They stand as a visible record of the late 19th and early 20th century era of residential development in Ithaca.
