History of Town Hall
The new Town Hall involved the rehabilitation of the
historic, downtown Ithaca Post Office, which is listed on the State and
National Registers of Historic Places, and it is located within the Dewitt
Park Historic District. The Town of Ithaca will be leasing back a portion
of the building to the Postal Service for a downtown postal store. The
rehabilitation work included the replacement of the roof, handicap
accessibility requirements, restoration of the exterior stone and brick
facade, and the restoration of the interior lobby to its original splendor
while providing office space for Town employees. The project results in
the long-term preservation and re-use of the historically significant
Ithaca Post Office by providing the Town of Ithaca with an appropriate
space in a central and accessible location and allow the Postal Service to
continue its commitment to service in the downtown Ithaca area.
Constructed in 1910, the original building was designed
by U.S. supervising Architect James Knox Taylor. It is one of the finest
local examples of Beaux Arts Classicism, an architectural style highly
favored for public buildings designed at the turn of the century. The
building’s architectural integrity remains excellent, despite later
building additions in 1936 and 1965.
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Grand Opening of New Town Hall
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On October 27, 2000, the Town of Ithaca had a grand opening ceremony
and open house for the new Town Hall located at 215 North Tioga
Street. The Town has been operating out of the former Post Office
since late July but did not have an official opening or any
opportunity for the public to tour the building. The afternoon began
with a buffet lunch for approximately 65 Town staff, Town Board
members, and invited guests in the lobby of the new Town Hall. |
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The opening ceremonies started outside at 3pm with an interagency
color guard. The Veterans of Foreign Wars donated two flags, an
American flag and a POW / MIA flag, to the Town. A dedication ceremony
and flag raising completed the ceremonies at the flag pole on the
corner of Buffalo and Tioga Streets. |
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The ceremonies then moved to the front steps of the building facing
Tioga Street for the ribbon cutting. The ribbon cutting was done by
members of the Town Board, the Town Supervisor Cathy Valentino, and
Town Engineer Daniel Walker. |
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Following the ribbon cutting, City of Ithaca Mayor Alan Cohen declared
October 27, Town of Ithaca Day in the City. Also speaking were Cathy
Valentino, Town of Ithaca Supervisor; David Klein, Town Board member;
Dan Lamb, local representative for Maurice Hinchey, House of
Representatives; and Stuart W. Stein, Tompkins County Board of
Representatives member. |
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The ceremonies ended with a cake cutting inside and the dedication of
the "Shirley A. Raffensperger Meeting Room". The Town Hall was then
open for the evening providing tours of the new building and various
displays including a slide show of the renovation work and historic
photos of the Town and the Post Office. |
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Grand Opening of New Town Hall
Shirley A. Raffensperger Meeting Room
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Shirley Raffensperger was instrumental in aiding the Town of Ithaca to
acquire the former United States Post Office and convert it into the
new Town Hall. When she was Town Supervisor the Town established a
capital reserve fund for the purpose of acquiring a new Town Hall.
Mrs. Raffensperger chaired a community committee that considered the
advisability of developing the Post Office as a new Town Hall and the
committee under her leadership educated various officials and the
public on the merits of the adaptive reuse of the Post Office as a new
Town Hall. Mrs. Raffensperger’s work in establishing a new home for
the Town Hall is only one of the numerous contributions to the well
being of the Town of Ithaca and its citizen made by her during her
many years of service to the Town, not only as Supervisor for four
years and later Chair of the Community Committee on the New Town Hall,
but also as a Councilwoman for fourteen years, a member of the
Southern Cayuga Lake Intermunicipal Water Commission, and a City-Town
Special Joint Sewer Representative. |
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| On October
27, 2000, the main meeting room of the new Town Hall was named the
Shirley A. Raffensperger Meeting Room during the grand opening of
the new Town Hall, in honor of Mrs. Raffensperger, in honor of the
role she played in obtaining the new Town Hall, and in honor of the
dedicated service she provided in a variety of roles to the Town, its
citizens and residents, for over twenty years. A picture of Mrs.
Raffensperger and a plaque have been placed in the meeting room and
the room will be identified as the "Shirley A. Raffensperger Meeting
Room." The unveiling was done by Edgar Raffensperger and Michele
Hungiville. |
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Organizations and Groups Shirley A. Raffensperger
was involved with:
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Ithaca Town Board Member 1975-1989 |
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Ithaca Town Supervisor 1989-1993 |
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Chair Tompkins County Planning Board |
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Chair Tompkins County Democratic Committee |
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Chair Parks and Paths Committee |
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NYS Planning Federation Board of Directors |
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NYS Democratic Committee |
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Southern Cayuga Lake Water Commission |
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City – Town Joint Sewer Representative |
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Gadabout Board |
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Governor’s Tax Panel |
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League of Women Voters |
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Chair Committee on the new Town Hall |
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Her commitment to her community
was exceeded only by
her devotion to her family
Town of
Ithaca Supervisor Cathy Valentino
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