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Triphammer Falls

Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850 USA

  • Independent
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“an urban waterfall in the heart of Cornell's campus”

There's a lot of waterfalls in the gorges of Ithaca, New York, butTriphammer Falls is unique in that it's right on the campus of Cornell University in the middle of the city, with the ruins of a laboratory built around it. Triphammer Falls got their name from the Triphammer Forge which operated in the area in the 1820's. It's made up of two drops. At the bottom of the first drop is a power station on Beebe Dam, and at the bottom of the second drop is what appears to be a 12th century Florentine castle. The stone used matches the stone of the gorge, making the building look like some sort of weird, ancient fort, but it's actually a Hydraulic Lab built in 1898 so the College of Civil Engineering could study water purification and observe the flow of water from the adjacent falls. Unfortunately, a flood in the 1960's forced the lab to close, and it's been sitting abandoned ever since.  The best views of the waterfall is from Triphammer Foot Bridge or East Ave. bridge, or you can get a little closer to it from the trail that starts behind Risley Hall (further evidence of how urban this goregous waterfall is). The lab is quickly collapsing, and you can even see water rushing from various windows and cracks in its facade. -Roadtrippers Triphammer Falls is in Ithaca on the Cornell University campus. It is one of several falls on Falls Creek, of which Ithaca Falls is by far the most impressive. Triphammer Falls is right in the middle of the city. The falls consists of two drops, although the first drop has been partially obscured by the dam that forms Beebe Lake. The lower half can be viewed from the East Avenue bridge. One of the falls most iconic features has sadly disappeared... The Hydraulic Lab was constructed in October of 1898 alongside the dam that encloses Beebe Lake, according to an archived New York Times article. Originally part of the College of Civil Engineering, the purpose of the building was to study water purification along with the flow of water from the adjacent falls. It has been debated whether the building was constructed in 12th-century Florentine style, but most agree that the stone used to build it was meant to match the stone of the gorge. In A History of Cornell, author Morris Bishop writes that the building, “adds to the picturesqueness of the cascades, especially when giant unexpected streams burst forth from unexpected orifices.” Since the 1960s, the building has been unused, according to an article in Cornell Magazine by Emeritus University Archivist Gould Colman ’51. The New York Times reported that damages from a flood caused the lab to close.

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Reviewed by
Greek_nomad

  • Road Warrior
  • 401 Reviews
  • 296 Helpful
September 17, 2014
Rated 5.0

If you visit Ithaca, then you should for sure go to the Triphammer Falls. It is one of the most beautiful waterfalls.

In combination with the well crafted stone structures below it becomes an eye candy for everyone.

Pass through the bridge and feel the drops of the water touch your face and chill you through the very warm periods.

Make sure you get your cameras with you!

1 person found this review helpful

Reviewed by
LolaWT

  • 6 Reviews
  • 2 Helpful
August 30, 2013
Rated

This is gorgeous

1 person found this review helpful

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Triphammer Falls

Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
14850 USA
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