Trumansburg Village, Tompkins County, New York (NY)

Trumansburg Village

Tompkins County, New York

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The Trumansburg Village Hall is located at 56 East Main Street, Trumansburg PA 14886.
Phone: 607‑387‑6501.

Overview of Architecture [1]

Buildings from the 19th and early 20th century are an important component to the Trumansburg visual character. These buildings reflect a wide range of architectural styles, including late 19th century brick commercial buildings with cast iron details, and Gothic Revival, Greek Revival, and Queen Anne period homes. This variety of building styles marks the rich history of growth and development in Trumansburg.

Downtown

The original wood-framed buildings of downtown Trumansburg were destroyed in two major fires, one in 1864 and a second in 1871. The 1871 fire destroyed eleven buildings on the south side of the street between Trumansburg Creek and Hector Street, and five buildings on the north side between Union and Washington streets (A History of Trumansburg, New York, 1792-1967). Brick and cast iron were used in the reconstruction. Many of these brick buildings remain and help define the character of downtown. "Two and three story brick buildings dominate the built landscape, complete with cast iron details, intricate cornice work, high ceilings, and large display windows.

The Greek Revival Conservatory of Fine Arts building, once the Baptist Church, is a defining architectural feature of downtown and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Rongovian Embassy, another important music highlight in Trumansburg, also occupies a historic building downtown. Built after the 1871 fire, this building was used as a blacksmith shop, butcher shop and five-and-dime until 1973 when the Rongovian Embassy opened its doors in 1973 as a bar, restaurant, and music venue. Nearby, a historic brick building, currently occupied by the Little Venice Restaurante, also played an important role in the music history of Trumansburg. From 1963 to 1971 this building housed the R.A. Moog Company Factory, where the first musical electric synthesizer was produced.

Historic churches and civic buildings, including the Masonic Temple and the First Presbyterian Church of Ulysses, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, characterize the Upper Village, which is located further east along Main Street.

North of Downtown

Northwest of downtown, heading up old Main Street, stands the residential neighborhood historically known as McLallen Hill. McLallen farm once occupied this hill, along with some of the earliest and most distinguished houses, including the William Austin House, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Heading away from town on Congress or Washington Street, the style of housing gets progressively later, reflecting the gradual progression of development away from downtown. The result is a rich collection of mid-nineteenth to early twentieth-century architecture.

South of Downtown

The architectural and cultural highlights of the neighborhood south of downtown are the Camp House, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, and Biggs House on Elm Street. Several Gothic Revival cottages near the Camp House are also noteworthy and have retained their original detailing.

East of Downtown

Historic buildings from the 19th century dominate the residential corridor east of downtown, from Cemetery Street to South Street. A wide variety of 19th century architectural styles are found here "from the restrained Greek Revival structures and the Gothic cottages to the houses with fanciful Queen Anne porches." (An Architectural Sampler from the Village of Trumansburg, Trumansburg Bicentennial 1792-1992).

  1. Trumansburg Village Board of Trustees, Village of Trumansburg Comprehensive Plan, 2008, www.trumansburg-ny.gov, accessed June 2008

Nearby Towns: Interlaken Vlg •


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