Aurora Village–Wells College Historic District

Last updated

Aurora Village–Wells College
Historic District
USA New York location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location Aurora, New York
Coordinates 42°45′1″N76°42′0″W / 42.75028°N 76.70000°W / 42.75028; -76.70000
Built1793
ArchitectOtis, Calvin N.; Mandell, Samuel; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Architectural styleMid-19th Century Revival, Early Republic, Late Victorian
NRHP reference No. 80002595
Added to NRHPNovember 19, 1980 [1]

The historic village of Aurora, Cayuga County, New York, rises on a hill above the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. The village was named by Captain Benjamin Ledyard, who settled there in 1793, in the post-Revolutionary development of the Finger Lakes region. Up until the mid-nineteenth century, Aurora played an important part in the history of Central New York.

Contents

County seat for first Onondaga County and later Cayuga County, the village was also a leading market town in the region. A steam-powered flour mill was built in 1817, the first of its kind west of Albany and contributed to Aurora's role as a commercial point. Aurora was a major shipping point for goods bound up the Lake and through the Erie Canal, until the canal's role was replaced by railroads in the mid-19th century.

Its notable business entrepreneurs included Henry Wells, founder of American Express and Wells Fargo, whose express mail and banking services spanned New York state and reached to the developing state of California. Having earned capital in shipping and trade, Edwin Barber Morgan invested with Wells and served as a director for Wells Fargo for years. In addition, Morgan founded the United States Express Company, which provided express mail to the South, and he was an early investor in The New York Times . Wells and Morgan are also responsible for two of the historic houses that make up the district. Wells founded Wells Seminary, later Wells College, in 1868, which Morgan also supported.

In 1980, the Aurora Village–Wells College Historic District was entered on the National Register of Historic Places. [2]

Aurora Village properties

The contributing properties in the village of Aurora are of varied architectural styles and periods. They include commercial buildings, the Masonic temple, three churches, residential homes, barns and two cemeteries.

Commercial properties

The vernacular-design Patrick Tavern was built in 1793 and is the oldest building in the village. Built in 1898 through funds from Louise Morgan Zabriskie, the Tudor Revival style Aurora Free Library/Morgan Opera House served until 1996 as the public library and town hall. [3] The brick, Greek Revival style Aurora Inn was built in 1833. A complete renovation was completed in 2003. [4] The Shakelton Funeral Home is a large, white, neo-classical wooden structure built in 1903-1904.

Solomon Myers, a mason, built The Bank of local limestone circa 1840 for use as his home. In 1864 the second owner sold the building to a consortium forming the First National Bank of Aurora. At that time, several physical improvements were made and the Italianate features were added before the bank opened. [5] Edwin Barber Morgan had the E. B. Morgan House built in 1857-1858. It was designed by New York City architect Joseph C. Wells, who also designed the Presbyterian Church in Aurora. The stone mansion on the shore of Cayuga Lake now operates as a bed and breakfast. [6] Other commercial properties that contribute to the district include: the Shakelton Hardware Store, the Aurora Office Building, Mack's Drug Store, the Aurora Village Hall, the White Elephant Shop, the Aurora IGA, and the Thompson Block. [2]

Scipio Lodge #110 Masonic Lodge.jpg
Scipio Lodge #110

Masonic Lodge

Robert Livingston, who administered George Washington's oath of office and was Grand Master of the Masons, signed the charter for the Masonic Lodge in Aurora, received in 1797. It is known as the Scipio Lodge #110. New York State Governor DeWitt Clinton, also Grand Master of the Masons, laid the cornerstone for the existing structure in 1819. [7] The Masonic emblems incorporated in the design of the structure survive to this day.

Churches

Three churches contribute to the historic district. The Presbyterian Church, built in 1860, is of Romanesque design, with a Gothic steeple. It was designed by New York City architect Joseph C. Wells, who also designed the E. B. Morgan House. St. Paul's Episcopal Church is Greek Revival in style and was built in 1870-1871. It is located on the east side of Main Street. Across the street is St. Patrick's Catholic Church, built in 1873 of Italianate design. Both were designed by local architect Samuel Mandell. [2]

Homes

Over fifty homes contribute to the historic district, too many to enumerate. The imposing Taylor House on the east side of Main Street was built around 1838 and was the site of many village celebrations. [8] Mandell House was built by local architect Samuel Mandell for his own use. It is designed in a combination of Queen Anne and Stick styles. [2] The romantic Queen Anne-style Abbott House is at the northern end of town. [9] The Leffingwell House was the first house built of brick in Aurora, circa 1826. [10] The Cuyler House is the birthplace of Theodore Ledyard Cuyler, Presbyterian clergyman and writer, according to the historical marker in the front yard. The Federal-style Peter Fort House was built in 1819-1820. [2] [11]

Wells College

In 1868, Wells Seminary, later Wells College, was founded by Henry Wells, founder of American Express (1850) and Wells Fargo (1852). The campus includes fourteen properties contributing to the historic district. Glen Park , built in 1852, was originally the home of Henry Wells and later donated to the college. The house was designed in two sections, the original portion by architect Calvin N. Otis, and the second by Samuel Mandell, architect of the original Wells College Main Building (Dieckman, 1995). [12]

Another event in the life of Henry Wells happened in 1850 he moved with his family from New York City to Aurora to a large house that stood on the east side of Court Street in the middle of what is now Cherry Avenue. This house burned May 18, 1851, and he began planning his new home immediately. His choice of a location for his home could scarcely have turned out better either for him or for Wells College. It was part of a farm, just south of Aurora, formerly owned by John Morgan, one of the six sons of Christopher Morgan. Henry Wells purchased thirty-eight acres of this farm, a strip of land beginning at Cayuga Lake and running eastward north of the ravine. He named his estate Glen Park and located his residence on the north side of Glen Park Ravine.

The following description of Glen Park is taken from a prospectus written in 1875. "The house is of Tuscan villa architecture the outer walls are of blue limestone, the inner of brick with a chamber between, rendering them impervious to dampness and making the rooms cool in summer and warm in winter. The partitions of the main building are of brick from the foundations upward. The halls and rooms are spacious and sunny, commanding charming views from each window."

On the newel at the bottom of the circular staircase in Glen Park is a silver plate engraved as follows: "C. N. Otis, Architect; N. H. McGrath, Builder. Erected A.D., 1852." This circular staircase is one of Glen Park's unique features.

Miss Annie MeGreevey, Mr. Mandell's housekeeper for many years, tells the story of its building. Samuel D. Mandell (1829-1917), educated as an architect, began his career away from Aurora. Early in 1852 his father wrote him that there would be plenty of work in Aurora and that he should come home. Mandell arrived just before Glen Park was completed. The architect had left the well for the circular staircase, but had postponed building it because he was not sure how best to do it. When he heard that Mandell had returned, he asked him to construct the staircase. The circular staircase in Glen Park, therefore, was the first work that Mandell did in Aurora. Afterward he was the architect of the first Wells College building, the three churches, and several residences including that of Edwin B. Morgan.

Pettibone House is a Gothic Revival structure built of stone in 1858. The Main Building was built in 1890. The Wells College Boathouse, on Cayuga Lake, was built in 1898. The science building, Zabriskie Hall, was built in 1905.

The remaining nine contributing properties on campus are Fritt House, Power House, Boyer Cottage, Macmillan Hall, South Hall, Bellinjou, Dining Hall, Cleveland Hall, and Morgan Hall. [2] In addition, the noted architecture firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed the Louis Jefferson Long Library according to the "Field Theory" in 1968.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Nash (architect)</span> British architect (1752–1835)

John Nash was one of the foremost British architects of the Georgian and Regency eras, during which he was responsible for the design, in the neoclassical and picturesque styles, of many important areas of London. His designs were financed by the Prince Regent and by the era's most successful property developer, James Burton. Nash also collaborated extensively with Burton's son, Decimus Burton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurora, Cayuga County, New York</span> Village in New York, United States

Aurora, or Aurora-on-Cayuga, is a village and college town in the town of Ledyard, Cayuga County, New York, United States, on the shore of Cayuga Lake. The village had a population of 724 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancaster (village), New York</span> Village in New York, United States

Lancaster is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 10,352. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine Palace</span> Palace near St. Petersburg, Russia

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurora University</span> United States historic place

Aurora University (AU) is a private university in Aurora, Illinois, United States. In addition to its main campus, AU offers programs online at its George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wisconsin as well as its Woodstock Center in downtown Woodstock, Illinois. Approximately 6,200 students are enrolled in bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs at Aurora University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edwin B. Morgan</span> American politician

Edwin Barber Morgan was an entrepreneur and politician from the Finger Lakes region of western New York. He was the first president of Wells Fargo & Company, founder of the United States Express Company, and director of American Express Company. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives from New York and served for three terms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmund Woolley</span> English-born American architect

Edmund Woolley (c.1695—1771) was an English-born American architect and master carpenter, best known for building Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick Clarke Withers</span> American architect

Frederick Clarke Withers was an English architect in America, especially renowned for his Gothic Revival ecclesiastical designs. For portions of his professional career, he partnered with fellow immigrant Calvert Vaux; both worked in the office of Andrew Jackson Downing in Newburgh, New York, where they began their careers following Downing's accidental death. Withers greatly participated in the introduction of the High Victorian Gothic style to the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Brickell White</span> American architect

Edward Brickell White, also known as E. B. White, was an architect in the United States. He was known for his Gothic Revival architecture and his use of Roman and Greek designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shingle style architecture</span> American architectural style

The shingle style is an American architectural style made popular by the rise of the New England school of architecture, which eschewed the highly ornamented patterns of the Eastlake style in Queen Anne architecture. In the shingle style, English influence was combined with the renewed interest in Colonial American architecture which followed the 1876 celebration of the Centennial. The plain, shingled surfaces of colonial buildings were adopted, and their massing emulated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old City Hall (Richmond, Virginia)</span> United States historic place

Old City Hall, known formerly as City Hall, is the former city hall of Richmond, Virginia that was designed by Elijah E. Myers. It served as City Hall from its completion in 1894 through the 1970s. The building occupies its own city block in downtown Richmond, bounded by 10th and 11th Streets to the west and east, and Capitol Street and East Broad Street to the south. The building is executed in a meticulous Gothic Revival style, and was designated a National Historic Landmark for its architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurora Inn</span> United States historic place

The Aurora Inn is a historic building in Aurora, Cayuga County, New York. It was built in 1833 for Edwin B. Morgan, a local businessman involved in trade and shipping on Cayuga Lake. It is a contributing property in the Aurora Village-Wells College Historic District which in 1980 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E. B. Morgan House</span> Historic house in New York, United States

The E. B. Morgan House at 431 Main Street, Aurora, New York, was designed in the Italianate style by New York architect Joseph C. Wells for Edwin Barber Morgan, a wealthy entrepreneur and U.S. Congressman. Built between 1857 and 1858, the mansion expressed the new wealth of businessmen in Central New York. Their innovative companies had operations extending to California and the South. The mansion is a contributing property within the Aurora Village–Wells College Historic District, listed in 1980 on the National Register of Historic Places.

William Henry Miller (1848–1922) was an American architect based in Ithaca, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Witt Park Historic District</span> Historic district in New York, United States

De Witt Park Historic District is a national historic district located at Ithaca in Tompkins County, New York. The district consists of 45 contributing buildings, one contributing site, and three contributing objects. It includes the area developed by the town's founder, Simon De Witt, in the early 19th century. The district includes the separately listed Boardman House and Second Tompkins County Courthouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick W. Garber</span>

Frederick W. Garber was an American architect in Cincinnati, Ohio and the principal architect in the Garber & Woodward firm with Clifford B. Woodward (1880–1932). The firm operated from 1904 until it was dissolved in 1933 Their work has been described as in the Beaux-Arts tradition and included buildings on the University of Cincinnati campuses, schools, hospitals, commercial buildings, "fine residences" and public housing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph C. Wells</span> American architect

Joseph Collins Wells (1814–1860) was an English-born architect who practiced in New York City from 1839 to 1860. He was a founding member of the American Institute of Architects, and several of his works have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Two of his works, the Henry C. Bowen House and the Jonathan Sturges House, have been designated as U.S. National Historic Landmarks. He also designed First Presbyterian Church, a New York City Landmark in Greenwich Village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bard College Campus</span> College campus in New York, US

The campus of Bard College comprises 1,000 acres (400 ha) in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus, situated on the east shore of the Hudson River, offers sweeping views of the Catskill Mountains and is within the Hudson River Historic District, a National Historic Landmark. Almost all campus buildings built prior to 1950 are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as contributing features to the historic district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Jacksonville</span>

The architecture of Jacksonville is a combination of historic and modern styles reflecting the city's early position as a regional center of business. According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, there are more buildings built before 1967 in Jacksonville than any other city in Florida, though few structures in the city center predate the Great Fire of 1901. Numerous buildings in the city have held state height records, dating as far back as 1902, and last holding a record in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St James' Anglican Church, Morpeth</span> Church in New South Wales, Australia

St James' Anglican Church is a heritage-listed Anglican church precinct at 19 Tank Street, Morpeth, City of Maitland, New South Wales, Australia. The original design was attributed to Edward Charles Close, with later additions by Edmund Blacket and John Horbury Hunt and built from 1837 to 1875 by Edward Charles Close and James Sherwood. The precinct also includes the St. James' rectory and parish hall. The property is vested in the trustees of church property for the Diocese of Newcastle. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 27 January 2017.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Herschensohn, Michael J.; Reed, Roger (February 1980). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Aurora Village-Wells College Historic District". Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2008. and Accompanying 33 photos from 1977-1980 Archived 2012-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Edmunds, Sheila. "A History Lesson: The Aurora Free Library/Morgan Opera House". Archived from the original on December 25, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  4. "Steeped In History Since 1833". Archived from the original on July 23, 2008. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  5. Edmunds, Sheila. "A History Lesson: The Bank House". Archived from the original on December 25, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  6. Edmunds, Sheila. "A History Lesson: E. B. Morgan House". Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  7. Peter, George. "A History Lesson: Scipio Lodge #110". Archived from the original on November 7, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  8. Edmunds, Sheila. "A History Lesson: Taylor House". Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  9. Edmunds, Sheila. "A History Lesson: Abbott House". Archived from the original on October 31, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  10. Edmunds, Sheila. "A History Lesson: Leffingwell House". Archived from the original on October 31, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  11. Edmunds, Sheila. "A History Lesson: Peter Fort House". Archived from the original on October 31, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  12. Dieckman, Jane Marsh (1995). Wells College: A History (First ed.). Aurora, NY: Wells College Press. pp. 2–3, 26–27. ISBN   1-887196-02-1.

Further reading