Sunrise Terrace
One of the first planned suburban communities
of Broome County

Adams Drive is one of the streets of Sunrise Terrace and is named for its original developer, Albert C. Adams, Sr. He came to Binghamton from Illinois in 1921. Soon afterwards he purchased the English farm from Mr. and Mrs. Levi English. The English farm house stood where present day Econolodge is located on Old Front Street. This property was owned by Joshua Whitney, who settled here in 1787 and is one of the first settlers of the area. The first court of the area was held across the street from Whitney’s home under an Elm tree. A marker designates this spot. Hence the Town’s logo is of an Elm tree.

Part of the Sunrise Terrace’s land was deeded by Polly and Graves Collins of Whitney Point to John W. Cutler in 1858.  Another parcel acquired by J. W. Cutler was from the estate of Minerva Case, 1861, (a portion of this estate was left by J. W. Cutler in 1875 to William D. and Philander Cutler). 1871 saw Mr. and Mrs. John W. Cutler deed a parcel to Watson Curtis to establish a boundary line and border the County farm. After the accidental death of both Mr. and Mrs. Cutler, the remainder of the property was left to their daughters, Mildred L. and Martha M. In 1912 they gave land to Mary V. Cutler. Mary also received land from her husband, Philander Cutler. Part of Mary Cutler’s estate was deeded to Mr. and Mrs. Seeber Hibbard in 1923. Then in 1925 Albert Adams bought the Hibbard portion of the Cutler farm. Now Adams has the English farm (from Whitney) and the Hibbard farm (from Cutler).

To create the planned suburban area of Sunrise Terrace, Mr. Adams hired engineers, Hoadley and Giles to make a topographical map of both farms. He also hired, landscape architect, Joseph Porter at Cornell University. Porter was to make a practical, attractive, and unusual layout for the development. The name “Sunrise Terrace” was used for this development after a trip to Texas where both Albert and Edith Adams saw a beautiful development named, Sunrise Terrace.  Further, the sun also rises on the new project.

Homes to be built had to have a minimum price tag of $4,000. The development was to be only residential in nature. The first homes built in the Sunrise Terrace proper were for Mr. Payne and Mrs. Briggs. Further, the house on Front Street formerly owned by Herman Dibbles was the remodeled tenant home on the Hibbard farm. It was designed and demonstrated by the Broome County Home Bureau. Another rebuilt home was the former carriage house at 835 Front Street. Unique to this suburban area is its community center. The Sunrise Terrace Association was started in the late 1930’s and continues today. Its current building was dedicated in 1956 and remains the largest project the association has done.

Sunrise Terrace was the site of one of the first WPA projects. The work was to be on the upper part of Terrace Drive and create a road to the 9-hole golf course at Ely Park. Land was given by Albert Adams to the city of Binghamton to expand the 9-hole course to 18-holes. The project road has since disappeared due to not being maintained.

Fun Facts