Sheldon Court a few years after its completion in 1903. Cornelliana A History Tour of Sheldon Court, a Collegetown Landmark in Brick Stories You May Like How Cornell and Ithaca Were Once in Different ‘Time Zones’ Collegetown 101: How Ezra’s University Shaped a Neighborhood Collegetown Eateries and Watering Holes: A Celebration Built by an alum as an upscale student boarding house, it has also hosted iconic retailers of books, bagels, and beyond By Joe Wilensky “Cornell’s First Dormitory,” a 1903 newspaper ad proclaimed, describing the new structure as “built to fill a long-felt want at Cornell.” The ad highlighted the electric desk lamps, Mission-style furniture, tile and marble lavatories, telephone connections in each room, and fireplaces in most suites. The cost per year, including services and utilities: $150. Nearly a century and a quarter later, that building—Sheldon Court—remains a Collegetown landmark. And its ground-floor retail space has housed some of the neighborhood’s most enduring businesses over the decades, from the Triangle Bookshop to Collegetown Bagels. Collegetown Bagels moved into the renovated ground floor in 2020. While it now shares a dense stretch of College Avenue with the Schwartz Center next door and the towering, redeveloped Chacona Block across the street, Sheldon Court once dominated the landscape—and was in the vanguard of student living. Sheldon Court once dominated the Collegetown landscape—and was in the vanguard of student living. When it was built in the early 20th century, there were no on-campus residence halls for male students and the relatively few women were housed in Sage Hall. A handful of men had lived in Morrill and White halls in the University’s early years, while others (along with some faculty) resided in what’s now Cascadilla Hall. But the rest had to find off-campus accommodations, many lodging in homes downtown. The building debuted with then-modern amenities ... ... and even boasted a tennis court out back. Collegetown boarding houses were therefore gaining popularity: they were much closer to campus than downtown digs, offered group meals, and obviated those long early-morning uphill hikes. Seeing an opportunity, local entrepreneur Charles Sheldon Jr. 1901, MA 1902, and his father commissioned the distinctive L-shaped brick building on the site of a former student rooming house that had been twice destroyed by fire. Charles Sheldon Jr. 1901, MA 1902, and his father commissioned the distinctive L-shaped brick building on the site of a former student rooming house. The architect they hired was also an alum: Henry Wilkinson 1890, who would shortly afterward design the now-historic Harperley Hall apartment building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Huge by boarding-house standards, Sheldon Court was touted as a modern, fireproof structure with space for more than 100 residents on three floors of singles and suites. It included modern bathrooms, an expansive dining room, and even an outdoor tennis court. Wikimedia CommonsA comfort-food restaurant, seen on a 1915 postcard ... ... and a ground-floor barbershop in the 1930s. Stories You May Like How Cornell and Ithaca Were Once in Different ‘Time Zones’ Collegetown 101: How Ezra’s University Shaped a Neighborhood It was also conveniently situated—just over the bridge from campus and adjacent to a streetcar line. Early tenants in its retail spaces included the Mother’s Kitchen restaurant, a barber shop, and the famed Triangle Bookshop, which Charles Jr. also founded. After he died young of typhoid fever in 1908, his widow continued to run the building as a private men’s dormitory until World War II. Use the slider to compare views more than 100 years apart. (Charles Sr. would go on to lose another Cornellian son, Franklin Sheldon 1891. Grief-stricken, he endowed a marble monument in their name on campus; the Sheldon Memorial Sundial still stands outside Goldwin Smith.) The University began leasing Sheldon Court’s residential floors in 1943—initially as housing for male freshmen—and purchased the property in 1955. In the mid-1960s, the Cornell Store (as it’s now known) moved its non-academic departments into its ground floor, forcing Triangle to relocate across the street; the shop continued to operate for another four decades. A Century of Sheldon Snapshots Students cross the bridge to campus in the early 1900s. A large dining room served residents. A student room, 1930. In the 1970s, retail tenants included the Bike Rack. Looking north along College Avenue in the 1970s. During renovations that added a fifth floor in 1981–82. The patio hosted an outdoor art installation by artist Patrick Dougherty in 2006. Neighborhood favorite CTB now occupies most of the retail space. A current view from the Schwartz Center next door. Various retail tenants have occupied the building’s ground floor spaces over the years, including the Squire Shop, the Bike Rack, Student Agencies, House of Shalimar, Cravings Ice Cream Shop, and Kaplan Test Prep. By the early 1970s, the upper floors were in need of repairs and upgrades to meet modern codes and student housing standards. The rooms ceased to be offered as University housing; some spaces were leased to businesses and agencies or used as studios. In 1981–82, the University did a major renovation, including upgrading the plumbing, electricity, and heating. The project added not only an elevator—in a new concrete-and-glass structure at the rear—and modern fire alarm and sprinkler systems, but an entire fifth floor. Today, the building houses 164 transfer and upperclass students—and its current ground-floor tenant is another neighborhood icon. In late 2019, Collegetown Bagels faced the imminent closure of its longtime home when the original Chacona Block building, at the corner of College and Oak avenues, was slated for demolition. An elevator was added to the rear in the early ’80s. Signing a 10-year lease with the University, CTB moved across the street into nearly 5,000 square feet of space in Sheldon Court. During renovations, much of the original brickwork, including several fireplaces, was uncovered. The remodeled space has leaned into the vintage look—with the historic details that charmed early 20th century students now visible to today’s Cornellians. Top: Sheldon Court a few years after its completion in 1903. (Vintage images by Rare and Manuscript Collections; modern photos by Jason Koski / Cornell University, unless otherwise indicated.) Published September 23, 2026 Do you have memories of Sheldon Court? Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Students Identical Twin Mechanical Engineers Reach for the Stars Campus & Beyond What’s that Bird? Like Magic, ‘Merlin’ Can Tell You Campus & Beyond Remember Arriving on Campus? Now, Move-In Is a Major Event