About Forest Home

Forest Home was settled as early as 1794 because of water power.  At least a dozen mills were built along the section of creek between Flat Rock and Beebe Lake, particularly in the area of today’s downstream bridge.  At one time, Forest Home had a school, shops, a post office and even two gas stations, but now it is purely residential apart from the chapel.

In the mid-nineteen century the land on the south side of Fall Creek was given by Ezra Cornell for the campus of the university that bears his name.  When the Hasbrouck Farm was donated to the university in 1910, Forest Home became an enclave surrounded by Cornell University land.  Today, Fairway Drive borders the Cornell Golf Course, Judd Falls Road leads to the Vet School, and Pleasant Grove Road runs up to student housing, but most of the surrounding land is part of Cornell’s Botanic Gardens.