The Aurora Inn is a historic building in Aurora, Cayuga County, New York. It was built in 1833 for

Edwin B. Morgan Edwin Barber Morgan (May 2, 1806 – October 13, 1881) 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 di ...

, 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 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 ...

. an
''Accompanying 33 photos from 1977–1980''

History of the Aurora Inn

Originally named Aurora House, the Aurora Inn was built for Morgan, who operated the Morgan Store with his brothers. Aurora served as a port for shipping goods up Cayuga Lake and through the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...

to New York City and other major markets. Morgan was an early investor in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' and

American Express American Express Company (Amex) is an American multinational corporation specialized in payment card services headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. The company was found ...

and served as a director on Wells Fargo & Company. Morgan's former home, the E. B. Morgan House, a lakefront mansion designed by New York City architect

Joseph C. Wells Joseph Collins Wells (1814–1860)(providing year of birth and death)(providing middle name and years of birth and death) was an English-born architect who practiced in New York City from 1839 to 1860. He was a founding member of the American ...

, is also in the historic district. In the early 1840s, Willem D. Eagles purchased the Aurora Inn. Oil portraits of William Eagles, his wife, Nancy, John Eagles, and his wife were painted in the 19th century by New York artist Charles Loring Elliott and still hang in the inn. During the 19th century, the Aurora Inn was an overnight destination for travelers who visited Aurora via

stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

, canal boat and rail. Soon after the Aurora Inn's opening, an article in the local newspaper noted the Inn's "regularity, neatness and order exhibited everywhere — as well as the thousand little attentions which are paid to the comfort and convenience of travelers". The writer also commented on the Aurora Inn's "uninterrupted view of the water scenery of the most enchanting kind" and its "elegance scarcely surpassed by the most extensive houses of our large towns." When a fire destroyed the main building at

Wells College Wells College is a private liberal arts college in Aurora, New York. The college has cross-enrollment with Cornell University and Ithaca College. For much of its history it was a women's college. Wells College is located in the Finger Lakes reg ...

in 1888, many students temporarily relocated to the Aurora Inn which they renamed the Wayside Inn. On February 27, 1919, a fire destroyed much of Aurora's business district. When the inn caught fire, Wells College President Kerr Duncan McMillan climbed onto the roof and doused the fire with buckets of water handed to him by the village brigade. The charred beams are still present under the current roof. In 1943, the Aurora Inn was deeded to Wells College. In the 1960s, the Inn served as a residence hall due to increasing enrollment. A drain on the college's resources, the building was repeatedly closed between the 1970s and 2000s, most recently in October 2000.

Renovation

The Aurora Foundation, a partnership between Wells College and the

Pleasant Rowland Pleasant Thiele Rowland (born Pleasant Williams Thiele; March 8, 1941) is an American educator, reporter, writer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Rowland is best known for creating the American Girl brand. She is also notable for her efforts to re ...

Foundation, renovated the Aurora Inn in 2001 to redevelop it for lodging, dining, and events. Finished in 2003, the Aurora Inn has 10 guest rooms, a restaurant with outdoor dining, and a banquet room. Original architectural details were reused or reproduced in many places, but interior remodels were made to meet current code requirements and modern preferences. Historic photographs and etchings were consulted when making exterior changes. A stone terrace, lawns, and gardens were developed between the inn and Cayuga Lake."What's New"
, Wells College Newsletter, accessed April 10, 2009

Additional Reading

References

External links

{{Commons category, Aurora Inn
"Local Attractions"
Wells College Newsletter
Website for the Aurora Inn at the Inns of Aurora
Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Hotel buildings completed in 1833 1833 establishments in New York (state) Bed and breakfasts in New York (state) Buildings and structures in Cayuga County, New York Tourist attractions in Cayuga County, New York National Register of Historic Places in Cayuga County, New York Historic district contributing properties in New York (state)

History of the Aurora Inn

Renovation

See also

Additional Reading

References

External links