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46-550: 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. County seat for first Onondaga County and later Cayuga County,

92-468: 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,

138-617: 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. 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

184-444: 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

230-469: 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. In addition,

276-511: 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. Over fifty homes contribute to

322-464: 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

368-481: The 2010 census . Wells College , an institution of higher education for women founded by Henry Wells in 1868, was located in Aurora. It became coeducational in 2005, and closed in 2024. In 1980, its Aurora Village-Wells College Historic District , with more than 50 contributing properties , was listed on the National Register of Historic Places . From 2001 to 2007, redevelopment of historic properties in

414-594: The United States Census Bureau , the village has a total area of 0.92 square miles (2.38 km ), all land. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Aurora has a warm-summer humid continental climate , abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Aurora was 101 °F (38.3 °C) on July 17, 1988, while the coldest temperature recorded was −21 °F (−29.4 °C) on January 22, 1982. As of

460-471: The census of 2000, there were 720 people, 181 households, and 106 families residing in the village. The population density was 750.4 inhabitants per square mile (289.7/km ). There were 225 housing units at an average density of 234.5 per square mile (90.5/km ). The racial makeup of the village was 659 White , 13 African American , 2 Native American , 22 Asian , 10 from other races , and 14 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14 of

506-727: The Aurora Coalition and allowed the renovation of the Aurora Inn to proceed. The Appeals Court allowed the lower court's decision to stand. Continuing economic problems in central New York and residents' differing ideas about the village kept the controversy alive. The issues served as inspiration for the satirical novel Happyland , by author J. Robert Lennon . It began running in serial form in Harper's Magazine in July 2006. In May 2007, Rowland ended her association with Wells College and shut down

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552-521: The Aurora Foundation. Spokespeople said redevelopment of the village was substantially completed. Although Rowland put the local home decor firm MacKenzie-Childs up for sale, she also purchased an additional building in the village and set up a new limited liability corporation to operate her properties. In October 2013, Rowland took personal ownership of all the properties that she renovated for Wells College and purchased several other properties to

598-560: The Cayuga went with other Iroquois nations to Canada, where their descendants are enrolled in the Six Nations Reserve. Some members of the Cayuga tribe returned to the area after the war, but the tribe had been forced to cede its land to New York. They were left landless and shared space with the Seneca on their reservation that once included the north end of Cayuga Lake . Part of the village

644-637: The Mohawk and Hudson valleys. During the 19th century, Aurora developed as a minor center for manufacturing. A stopping point for canal traffic after the Cayuga–Seneca Canal opened, the village was incorporated in 1837. It became a port, shipping produce from farmers in the region up Cayuga Lake, then by the Erie Canal to other major markets. Academies and seminaries for basic education were established in 1800. Notable schools include Cayuga Lake Academy, which

690-863: The Presbyterian Church in Aurora. The stone mansion on the shore of Cayuga Lake now operates as a bed and breakfast. 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. Robert Livingston , who administered George Washington's oath of office and

736-617: The S.H.A.R.E. (Strengthening Haudenosaunee-American Relations through Education) Farm was signed over to the Cayuga Nation of New York by US citizens who had purchased and developed the 70-acre (280,000 m ) farm in Aurora, New York. This is the first substantial property which the Cayuga Nation has owned since after being forced to cede its lands after the Revolutionary War. Settlement here has meant their first chance to live within

782-442: The borders of their ancestral homeland in more than 200 years. In 2000, the board of Wells College endorsed a master plan that proposed two new buildings, demolition of some existing modern buildings and moving some historic brick buildings. They also voted to close the historic Aurora Inn on Main Street and look for a private developer to redevelop and manage it. The college's proposed changes raised concerns, especially as some of

828-400: The community, and of improving the local economy. Founder of the enormously successful "American Girl" dolls, she was a 1962 alumna of Wells College. Rowland's and the Aurora Foundation's projects have drawn some criticism and concern. Because the village is so small, its fate and governance are already intertwined with Wells College, which owns half the land in the village. Critics felt that

874-409: The degree that she currently owns the entire village business district along with other commercial properties. The village of Aurora is in the town of Ledyard on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake , at 42°44′48″N 76°41′58″W  /  42.74667°N 76.69944°W  / 42.74667; -76.69944 (42.746782, -76.699442). Long Point State Park is south of the village. According to

920-596: 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

966-625: 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 . 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. The vernacular-design Patrick Tavern

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1012-452: The education of women. With changes in transportation, development of the Midwest , and other economic shifts, local agriculture declined in importance. The village is a local center with well-preserved buildings composing the Aurora Village–Wells College Historic District , listed on the National Register of Historic Places . It has come to rely on Wells College as the major employer. During

1058-566: The foundation was too quick to renovate some historic structures and did not follow necessary review procedures, including that required by the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). The critics founded the Aurora Coalition and brought suit to stop the renovation of the inn and demolition of a neighboring grocery. The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Preservation League of New York joined

1104-416: 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. 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. The romantic Queen Anne-style Abbott House is at the northern end of town. The Leffingwell House

1150-450: 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). Another event in the life of Henry Wells happened in 1850 — he moved with his family from New York City to Aurora to

1196-512: The median income for a family was $ 64,583. Males had a median income of $ 31,667 versus $ 32,250 for females. The per capita income for the village was $ 17,526. About 1.8% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over. Theodore Ledyard Cuyler Theodore Ledyard Cuyler was born on January 10, 1822, in Aurora, Erie County, New York . His father died before he

1242-475: The noted architecture firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed the Louis Jefferson Long Library according to the "Field Theory" in 1968. Aurora, Cayuga County, New York Aurora , or Aurora-on-Cayuga , is a village and former 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

1288-1184: The pastor of the Park Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn, from which he oversaw the construction of the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church a block away. Completed in 1862, the church served the largest Presbyterian congregation in the United States. Cuyler's friends and acquaintances included a staggeringly large number of other contemporary notables, including Horatius Bonar , Samuel Hanson Cox , Phillips Brooks , Horace Bushnell , Horace Greeley , James McCosh , Gilbert Haven , Joseph Addison Alexander , Albert Barnes , William E. Dodge , Newman Hall , Richard Salter Storrs , Philip Schaff , Stephen H. Tyng , Joseph Parker (theologian) , Charles Spurgeon , Benjamin M. Palmer , D. L. Moody , Charles G. Finney , President Benjamin Harrison , Vice President Henry Wilson , and Prime Minister William Gladstone . A theological conservative, Cuyler

1334-413: The population. There were 181 households, out of which 52 had children under the age of 18 living with them, 91 were married couples living together, 13 had a female householder with no husband present, and 75 were non-families. 63 of all households were made up of individuals, and 33 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size

1380-600: The present-day site of Aurora village. It had permanent dwellings and the people cultivated fields for their staple crops of varieties of corn, beans and squash. Chonodote was destroyed by the Sullivan Expedition in 1779 during the Revolutionary War , when the Cayuga were allies of the British army, in retaliation for raids by Joseph Brant and his Mohawk and Loyalist forces mostly in the eastern Mohawk Valley. Most of

1426-400: The properties and master plan were within the historic district. In 2001, entrepreneur Pleasant Rowland together with Wells College founded the Aurora Foundation and teamed up to renovate the Aurora Inn. They acquired additional properties to renovate, including the E. B. Morgan House . In press accounts, Rowland expressed her vision of enhancing the historic character and attractiveness of

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1472-436: The renovations, which increased interest in the projects. Critics were concerned about Rowland's not being a native to the area, despite her time there while attending Wells College from 1958 to 1962. They complained that she had not been accessible for consultation with the community. There was an underlying concern that Rowland's wealth allowed her to impose a vision on the community. The State Supreme Court ruled against

1518-463: 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

1564-590: The school year, nearly half the population of the village is made up of students. Since the renovations in the town and the college's 2005 decision to enroll men and become co-educational, enrollment has increased. The student body, with enrollment of 567 in 2007, had increased by a third since a few years ago. Also listed on the National Register of Historic Places are the Aurora Steam Grist Mill (1976) and Mosher Farmstead (2003). In December 2005,

1610-411: The suit because of concerns that local government was not paying enough attention to state laws requiring thorough review of projects in historic districts. The controversy continued as the foundation and proposed renovation projects gained national attention. Because some affected buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places , interested parties outside the community needed to review

1656-431: The village by entrepreneur Pleasant Rowland and the Aurora Foundation earned compliments, as well as provoking citizen concern, a lawsuit joined by state and national preservation organizations, and national media attention. Indigenous peoples occupied the lakeshore and riverways in present-day New York for thousands of years. Prior to European-American settlement, a major Cayuga Indian village, Chonodote , stood near

1702-599: 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

1748-451: 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

1794-399: Was 3.10. In the village, the population was spread out, with 13.2% under the age of 18, 46.1% from 18 to 24, 14.6% from 25 to 44, 15.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. The population was 62.3% female, and 37.7% male, due to the college which has mostly female students. The median income for a household in the village was $ 57,222, and

1840-612: 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. The Masonic emblems incorporated in the design of the structure survive to this day. Three churches contribute to the historic district. The Presbyterian Church, built in 1860,

1886-426: Was also an outspoken supporter of the temperance movement and an avid abolitionist. In 1872, Cuyler invited Sarah Smiley, a Quaker, to be the first woman ever to preach from a Presbyterian pulpit. Besides numerous books, Cuyler wrote more than four thousand articles, mostly for the religious press. Cuyler Gore, a park in Brooklyn, was named after him just before the turn of the 20th century. Cuyler politely declined

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1932-523: 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. The brick, Greek Revival style Aurora Inn was built in 1833. A complete renovation was completed in 2003. The Shakelton Funeral Home is a large, white, neo-classical wooden structure built in 1903-1904. Solomon Myers,

1978-736: Was five years old. Cuyler graduated from Princeton University in 1841 and from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1846. He first became a pastor in Burlington, New Jersey . Successful in reviving the flagging church, he was called in 1853 as pastor of the Market Street Dutch Reformed Church in New York City. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1857. His success at the Market Street Dutch Reformed Church led to Cuyler's installation in 1860 as

2024-664: Was founded in 1797 and chartered by the New York State Regents in 1801. Its second structure, built in 1835, remained until it was destroyed by fire on April 19, 1945. Many prominent graduates attended the school, including President Millard Fillmore , William Brookfield, the founder of the Bushwick Glass Works; and William E. Leffingwell (1855–1927), State Assemblyman and founder of the Glen Springs Sanitarium. In 1868 Henry Wells founded Wells College for

2070-472: Was the first house built of brick in Aurora, circa 1826. 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. 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

2116-525: Was within the Central New York Military Tract . The United States reserved this portion to pay off veterans with deeds to land after the Revolutionary War. The tract was part of the five million acres (20,000 km ) of lands which the Iroquois were forced to cede in the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua . Many veterans from New England settled in the Finger Lakes area, as did some migrants from

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