Elks' Club
Known Name(s)
Elks Rest () Elks' Club ()
Address
119 Tioga St. Ithaca, NY (1941)119 So. Tioga St. Ithaca, NY (1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955)
Physical Status
Moved
Description
Elks Lodge No. 180 served, and continues to serve, as the meeting place, nightclub, restaurant, and the oldest black business/civic organization in Ithaca. According to Sanborn maps, it was a three-story brick building with brick or metal cornice. Window openings were on second and third stories with skylight lighting on the top story only. Gas and engine power was located in the back of the building. The site is currently occupied by a pedestrian mall shopping area (Ithaca Commons) in downtown Ithaca. The Forest City Lodge now operates at the intersection of Corn and Green Street.
Detailed History
First founded in 1912, now the oldest black owned business in Ithaca, the Forest City Lodge was located at the address on Tioga Street listed in the Green Book until it moved to its present location in the 1960s. It has a long history of being the civic heartbeat of its community. It has been able to cover most of its operating expenses and play this vital role by serving as a venue for food, drink, and entertainment. Its original location downtown on Tioga Street, having been renovated into a pedestrian mall, necessitated the move from its historical location. Its current site at Green and Corn Streets on the west side of town still represents an important location on a major route across town.
