Aurora Inn
Encyclopedia
The Aurora Inn was built in 1833 at Aurora, Cayuga County, New York
for Edwin B. Morgan
, a local businessman involved in trade and shipping on Cayuga Lake
, one of the seven Finger Lakes
. Aurora served as a port for shipping goods up the lake and through the Erie Canal
to New York City and other major markets. Originally named Aurora House, the Aurora Inn was set on the shores of Cayuga Lake.
It is a contributing property in the Aurora Village-Wells College Historic District
, listed in 1980 on the National Register of Historic Places
.
E.B. Morgan was operator of the Morgan Store with his brothers. He made his wealth with trade and shipping from Aurora on Cayuga Lake and the Erie Canal. It was a busy port in the mid-19th century and local entrepreneurs created national businesses. Morgan had far-reaching ventures: he was an early investor in the New York Times and American Express
, the latter founded by his good friend Henry Wells
. He served as a director on Wells' express mail and banking company, Wells Fargo & Company, founded to serve California. Morgan's former home, the EB Morgan House
, a lakefront mansion designed by New York City architect Joseph C. Davis, which is also in the historic district, has recently been renovated as a luxury bed and breakfast
.
During the 19th century's busy years, the Aurora Inn was a favored overnight destination for travelers borne by stagecoach, 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 admired 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 in 1888, many students lived temporarily at the Aurora Inn. They renamed it the Wayside Inn.
Fire struck again in the early hours of February 27, 1919, destroying Aurora's tiny business district between the old post office and the Aurora Inn. When the south cornices of the Inn caught fire, Wells College President Kerr Duncan McMillan climbed on to the roof and doused the fire with buckets of water handed to him by the village brigade. Today charred beams remain under the roof as a reminder of the Aurora Inn's narrow escape.
Since the early 20th century, the inn was a popular spot for students and families from Wells College
, Cornell University
, and other nearby colleges. In 1943, the Aurora Inn was deeded to Wells College. In the 1960s, when enrollment increased rapidly, the Inn served as a makeshift residence hall.
Because of regional economic issues and travel patterns, the Aurora Inn struggled financially starting in the 1970s. A drain on the college's resources, the Inn had to be closed several times during the last three decades, most recently in October 2000.
The Aurora Foundation, a partnership between Wells College
and the Pleasant Rowland
Foundation, renovated the Aurora Inn in 2001 to redevelop it for lodging, dining and special events. Finished in 2003, the Aurora Inn had 10 guest rooms, a new restaurant with lakeside veranda dining, and banquet room for special occasions. A stone terrace, lawns, and gardens were created to link the inn to the shores of Cayuga Lake.
The Aurora Inn renovation team included Holt Architects of Ithaca, McGlynn Interiors of Skaneateles
and Northeast Construction Services of Syracuse
. The original fireplaces, woodwork and other architectural details were reused whenever possible. When they could not be reused, they were reproduced. Historic photographs and etchings guided the exterior changes. The interior was remodeled to meet current code requirements and accommodate contemporary traveler needs.
The Aurora Inn's public rooms are decorated with antiques, Oriental rugs, and comfortable furnishings. Its public spaces also feature a collection of historic and contemporary art. The Aurora Inn restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. A porch and tree-shaded veranda allow outdoor dining during warmer months.
In the early 1840s, Willem D. Eagles purchased the Aurora Inn. He engaged his uncle John Eagles, a retired sea captain, to manage it. Oil portraits of William Eagles and his wife Nancy now hang above the fireplaces in the reception area and parlor. Portraits of John Eagles and his wife hang above fireplaces in the dining room and bar. These newly restored portraits were painted in the 19th century by New York artist Charles Loring Elliott
.
Aurora, Cayuga County, New York
Aurora is a village and college town in Cayuga County, in the Town of Ledyard, north of Ithaca, New York, United States. The village had a population of 720 at the 2000 census, of which more than 400 were college students....
for Edwin B. Morgan
Edwin Barber Morgan
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...
, a local businessman involved in trade and shipping on Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area and second largest in volume. It is just under 40 miles long. Its average width is 1.7 miles , and it is at its widest point near Aurora...
, one of the seven Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes are a pattern of lakes in the west-central section of Upstate New York in the United States. They are a popular tourist destination. The lakes are long and thin , each oriented roughly on a north-south axis. The two longest, Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake, are among the deepest in...
. Aurora served as a port for shipping goods up the lake and through the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
to New York City and other major markets. Originally named Aurora House, the Aurora Inn was set on the shores of Cayuga Lake.
It is a contributing property in the Aurora Village-Wells College Historic District
Aurora Village-Wells College Historic District
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...
, listed in 1980 on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History of the Aurora Inn
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
, the latter founded by his good friend Henry Wells
Henry Wells
Henry Wells was an American businessman important in the history of both the American Express Company and Wells Fargo & Company.-Early life:...
. He served as a director on Wells' express mail and banking company, Wells Fargo & Company, founded to serve California. Morgan's former home, the EB Morgan House
EB Morgan House
The E.B. Morgan House at 431 Main St, Aurora, New York was designed in the Italianate style by New York architect Joseph C. Wells for Edwin Barber Morgan, a wealthy entrepreneur and US Congressman. Built between 1857 and 1858, the mansion expressed the new wealth of businessmen in Central New...
, a lakefront mansion designed by New York City architect Joseph C. Davis, which is also in the historic district, has recently been renovated as a luxury bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
.
During the 19th century's busy years, the Aurora Inn was a favored overnight destination for travelers borne by stagecoach, 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 admired 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."
Fire struck again in the early hours of February 27, 1919, destroying Aurora's tiny business district between the old post office and the Aurora Inn. When the south cornices of the Inn caught fire, Wells College President Kerr Duncan McMillan climbed on to the roof and doused the fire with buckets of water handed to him by the village brigade. Today charred beams remain under the roof as a reminder of the Aurora Inn's narrow escape.
Since the early 20th century, the inn was a popular spot for students and families from Wells College
Wells College
Wells College is a private coeducational liberal arts college located in Aurora, Cayuga County, New York, on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. Initially an all-women's institution, Wells became a co-ed college in Fall 2005....
, Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, and other nearby colleges. In 1943, the Aurora Inn was deeded to Wells College. In the 1960s, when enrollment increased rapidly, the Inn served as a makeshift residence hall.
Because of regional economic issues and travel patterns, the Aurora Inn struggled financially starting in the 1970s. A drain on the college's resources, the Inn had to be closed several times during the last three decades, most recently in October 2000.
Aurora Inn today
Wells College
Wells College is a private coeducational liberal arts college located in Aurora, Cayuga County, New York, on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. Initially an all-women's institution, Wells became a co-ed college in Fall 2005....
and the Pleasant Rowland
Pleasant Rowland
Pleasant Rowland is an American educator, writer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Rowland is best known for creating the American Girl brand...
Foundation, renovated the Aurora Inn in 2001 to redevelop it for lodging, dining and special events. Finished in 2003, the Aurora Inn had 10 guest rooms, a new restaurant with lakeside veranda dining, and banquet room for special occasions. A stone terrace, lawns, and gardens were created to link the inn to the shores of Cayuga Lake.
The Aurora Inn renovation team included Holt Architects of Ithaca, McGlynn Interiors of Skaneateles
Skaneateles
Skaneateles may refer to, in the United States:* Skaneateles , New York, in Onondaga County* Skaneateles , New York, in Onondaga County* Skaneateles Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in New York State...
and Northeast Construction Services of Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. The original fireplaces, woodwork and other architectural details were reused whenever possible. When they could not be reused, they were reproduced. Historic photographs and etchings guided the exterior changes. The interior was remodeled to meet current code requirements and accommodate contemporary traveler needs.
Charles Loring Elliott
Charles Loring Elliott was an American painter known for his portraits. He was active in central New York for 10 years as a young man, then in 1845 moved to New York City to pursue his career. He was elected to the National Academy of Design in 1846.-Early life and education:Elliott was born at...
.
Sources
External links
- "Local Attractions", Wells College Newsletter
- Aurora Inn Website