We are located at 212 Center Street in Ithaca, NY, at the corner of Center and South Plain Streets.

Current hours are Monday - Friday, 10:30am - 4pm and Saturday, 10:00am - 5:00pm. Closed Sunday. Hours subject to change due to COVID precautions. Please check our Instagram, Facebook, or website to confirm that we’re open during holidays or before driving from a long distance.

Parking is available in our back and side lots, as well as on-street parking along both Center and South Plain Streets. All parking is free. Our loading dock is accessed from the back parking lot.

Yes! Please call us at 607-277-3450 during business hours to pay by credit card over the phone. We can also email you a PayPal invoice for online payment.

Shipping is available for small items (e.g. hardware, lighting, hand tools, ephemera) via USPS or FedEx. Shipping and handling charges are in addition to the retail price. Please contact us to discuss your shipping options prior to purchasing. Much of our stock is oversized, irregularly shaped, fragile or heavy and is local pick-up only.

Cash, Credit Card (American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Discover), Contactless Payment (Apple Pay and contactless cards), PayPal, Check (with ID).

No items will be held without payment. Purchased items may be stored at Significant Elements for up to 14 days. Storage arrangements beyond 14 days to be made at time of purchase; storage fees apply.

Your purchases support all of Historic Ithaca’s non-profit historic preservation and community development programs, from educational tours and sustainability research to job training. Prices are not negotiable, though Significant Elements always offers ways to save: Become a Friend of Historic Ithaca: with your gift of $45 or more, you save 10% on every Significant Elements purchase for a full year Special sales and promotions: sign up for our e-newsletter or follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay up-to-date Guide to Being Local Coupon Book: save 20% off your Significant Elements purchase CayugaMarketplace.com: save 30% by purchasing a $50 certificate for only $35

Full-price items are returnable within 14 days for store credit only. Discounted/sale price items are final sale and are not returnable. Please inspect items thoroughly. If you are unsure about measurements, installation of an item, etc., please double-check your needs and/or consult with a contractor before making your purchase. Salvaged and vintage items may have variation or defects in appearance, color, condition, finish, or function.

Delivery fees start at $45 within Tompkins County. Delivery scheduling availability is limited. Please inquire about our current delivery schedule before purchasing an item. A number of truck and van rental options are available in Ithaca.

Yes, send us your requests and we’ll keep it on our “wish list.” We’ll contact you if something similar comes our way. Please email us the following information: Your name, email and phone number. What you’re looking for, with a brief description and/or dimensions. If we don’t have what you’re looking for, we’re happy to share a list of salvage or specialty resources with you.

Yes, many items are available for short-term rental. Please inquire about the availability and pricing of specific items. Nonprofit pricing: We support nonprofit and arts organizations whenever possible through discounted or free rentals for events or productions.

Significant Elements’ unique inventory is donated by community members, contractors, businesses and institutions. Items come to us from renovation projects, barn cleanouts, and the basements and attics of our local supporters, and occasional demolitions. The Significant Elements team sources interesting, useful and hard-to-find reclaimed architectural elements from across Central New York. Proceeds from the sale of donated items support all of Historic Ithaca’s programs, from historic preservation advocacy and education to job training for young adults. Significant Elements celebrates that an item’s value isn’t simply monetary, it’s also about the history and patina, embodied energy, beauty and craftsmanship, and stories. We believe that old things that were well-made and deserve to be preserved, used, and given new life. People from as far away as Syracuse, Geneva, Binghamton, Corning, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts donate architectural salvage and antiques to Significant Elements because they support our mission and know their treasures will be appreciated.

You can donate doors, windows, hardware, lighting, furniture, architectural elements, stair parts, shutters, tools, garden items, antiques, vintage decor, curiosities & oddities, architecture books, and more. You’d be surprised! Sometimes the most interesting and useful items are hidden in boxes in attics, basements, garages and barns. Please contact us with any questions. To make the donation process easier, email pictures to sara@historicithaca.org or text pictures to 607-218-7095 for confirmation that an item is acceptable. Please drop off donations during business hours: Monday - Friday, 10:30am - 4:00pm and Saturday, 10:00am - 5:00pm. Call ahead if you are bringing a large load, heavy items, or will require assistance unloading. Pick-up service also available. Your donations may be tax-deductible and Significant Elements can provide a donation receipt form for tax purposes. Significant Elements reserves the right to turn down any items that are not usable, saleable, or pose a health risk.

We offer pick-up service for donations of large items or large volumes of items including estates, barn contents, businesses and institutions. Please plan ahead. When possible, pick-ups are free of charge. Fees ranging from $40 to $100 may apply depending on logistics and distance. Contact us to learn more.

All items are cleaned thoroughly to remove dirt and grime. Most are sold in their as-found condition after cleaning. Some furniture is repaired and lightly refreshed. Hardware may be stripped of paint or rust to restore functionality. We love the patina and character acquired over time and typically leave the decision to fully polish or restore an item to its next owner.

We stock a small amount of reproduction hardware and lighting to supplement our reclaimed offerings. If an item is new or reproduction, it is always clearly indicated on the tag.

Historic Ithaca advocates for the conservation of our built heritage and promotes a sustainable community through preservation, adaptive use, and material reuse. When a building can’t be saved, we can save its materials and architectural elements through salvage. Happily, in many cases, our inventory comes from renovation projects, barn cleanouts, and the basements and attics of our local supporters, rather than recent demolitions.

We do not offer demolition or deconstruction services. We do provide pick-up service for donated items salvaged from demolition projects. Our service area extends to a 90-mile radius of Ithaca, including Syracuse, Auburn, Binghamton, Corning, Elmira, Geneva, and northern Pennsylvania.

No, but we can help you find the resources and supplies to keep your old windows working! We sell reclaimed window sash, Aetna sash cord, and lots of window hardware for your repair needs. Learn more about maintaining and repairing windows on Historic Ithaca’s website or read the National Park Service’s Preservation Brief 9: The Repair of Historic Wooden Windows. We maintain a listing of regional contractors who specialize in wood window repair and restoration, as well as millwork shops for traditional window and doors. Please contact Historic Ithaca’s Preservation Services Coordinator Christine O’Malley for more information.

Although we used to, our lighting repair specialist has retired. We recommend those seeking lamp repair visit Micheal Montgomery at Vintage Lighting Repair in Aurora, NY. He can be reached at 315-364-8182 or emailed at mike@vintage-lighting.com.

Our 3-story warehouse was built in 1888 as a factory for the Electric Seamless Hosiery Company. Over its 130+ years, the building has been home to carriage manufacturing, blacksmithing, a corset company, warehousing, a shipping company, and even served as Thomas-Morse Aircraft Corporation's engine design facility during WWI. 1888: constructed for Electric Seamless Hosiery Company ca. 1900-1914: Pritchard & Son, carriages and wagons, repository and factory ca. 1915-1917: Burns Bros., blacksmiths, horse-shoers, wood and iron workers ca. 1917-1919: Thomas-Morse Aircraft Corporation experimental plant ca. 1919-1922: Miller Corset Company factory ca. 1940-1941: Rothschild Bros. warehouse ca. 1942-1956: Ithaca Delivery & Storage, motor freight company (see their original painted metal sign on our front desk!) ca. 1957-1977: Harbeck Paper, paper and janitorial supplies, retail & wholesale ca. 1979-2003: ICC Furniture Company 2003-present: Significant Elements Architectural Salvage Warehouse

Yes, thanks for your interest in volunteering! Please contact us to discuss current opportunities to volunteer at Significant Elements. Due to COVID precautions, we are offering limited volunteer options at this time.

Yes! Spending a day antiquing or thrifting in Ithaca during your visit to Cornell, Ithaca College, or the Finger Lakes Wine Trail? We’re happy to help you discover more of what our community has to offer. Visitors come from Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Corning, Binghamton, Sayre, Scranton, NYC, New England, and Toronto to shop Significant Elements’ architectural salvage and vintage accents for their home projects. You might also enjoy some of our favorite local shops when visiting the Finger Lakes or Ithaca: FoundEast Hill AntiquesPastimes Antiques Mimi’s Attic Timesmith AntiquesEarly Owego Antique Center Ithaca Reuse Find more secondhand stores along the ReUse Trail of Tompkins County