Aurora is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

in southeastern

Preston County Preston County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the population was 34,216. Its county seat is Kingwood, West Virginia, Kingwood. The county was form ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 201. Aurora is located on

U.S. Route 50 U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlanti ...

between the

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

state line and the town of

Rowlesburg Rowlesburg is a town in southern Preston County, West Virginia, United States, along the Cheat River. The population was 438 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Morgantown metropolitan area. A former railroad town, it is home to the Downtown Ro ...

Cathedral State Park Cathedral State Park is the largest virgin timber tract remaining in West Virginia. The park features trees of up to 90 feet in height and 16 feet in circumference. Located on about one mile (1.6 km) east of the town of Aurora and five mil ...

is located to the east of Aurora's post office.

History

Aurora was originally a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

settlement. The town was originally called Salem and later Mount Carmel. Its current name was suggested because of the town's high altitude. One of the original settlers to the area was John Stough, a Lutheran minister. The primary industries throughout the early and mid-19th century were farming and timber. In the late 1880s, the town became known as a resort area as the result of several large hotels which were built in the area. Some of these featured casinos, pools, and concert halls. In the 1930s an artist colony formed in the nearby Youghiogheny Forest area. Located near Aurora are the

Brookside Historic District The Brookside Historic District of Westford, Massachusetts encompasses surviving elements of the 19th century Brookside mill village, the smallest of the town's three 19th-century industrial villages. Developed between about 1860 and 1904, it ...

, Gaymont and the Red Horse Tavern, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

References

Northwestern Turnpike Census-designated places in Preston County, West Virginia Census-designated places in West Virginia Morgantown metropolitan area German-American culture in West Virginia {{PrestonCountyWV-geo-stub