George Street Bridge
Welcome to the first stop on our tour! The George Street Bridge, also known as County Bridge # 159 or Aurora Bridge, was built in 1887 by Lomas Forge & Bridge Works of Cincinnati, Ohio, the same company responsible for the construction of East Fork Bridge (just southwest of Dover, IN). The George Street Bridge traverses Hogan Creek and measures 199 feet, 4 inches, long. As for style, the George Street Bridge is best characterized as a Whipple truss bridge. The Whipple truss construction (named after its inventor, Squire Whipple, who patented his idea in 1841) uses diagonal members to work in tension. It is one of the oldest bridges in Indiana, and because of this, it was added to the Nation Register on March 1st, 1984. It has been rehabilitated twice (1989 and 2010), and today is open to two-way traffic.Source(s): Wikipedia, Historicbridges.org, SHAARD, Bridgehunter.comLinks:https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=truss/aurora/https://secure.in.gov/apps/dnr/shaard/guest.html https://bridgehunter.com/in/dearborn/george-street/
Aurora Public Library
Welcome to Site #2 on our tour! The Aurora Public Library began as a collection of books housed in a local jewelry store. Prior to 1901, this collection was called the McClure Library. When the Aurora Public Library Association was formed, the collection was moved into the City Building. In 1913, however, the Siemental Property on Second Street was purchased with funds provided by Georgiana Sutton in memory of her parents, Dr. and Mrs. George Sutton. Here, a new library was constructed by several architects: Garber, Frederick & Woodward; JC Wright and Son; Morris and Eckel. This is the building that we still use and love today! Looking at the library, you will see an architectural style that looks very reminiscent of Italian renaissance architecture. It was built during a period of architectural “revival,” when people wanted to create buildings more closely modeled after the original form that inspired them. In this case, the architects looked to Italy and the ancient world for inspiration. The dedication of the new Aurora Public Library took place on October 13th, 1914. The flood of 1937 forced the library to close. Although no books were lost, there was a heavy loss of materials on the lower level. The basement was renovated in 1976 to make room for a children’s library. On May 27th, 1993, the Library was added to the National Register of Historic Places. By 1995, the Aurora Public Library had grown into the Aurora Public Library District, which offers library services to seven district townships.Source(s): SHAARD, Official Website for the City of Aurora, INVideo source: "Aurora Public Library, Aurora, Indiana." Youtube, uploaded by History in Your Own Backyard, 26 April 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=121&v=Gvk9bISDVTY&feature=emb_logoLinks: https://secure.in.gov/apps/dnr/shaard/guest.html https://aurora.in.us/library-and-depot.html
Aurora Depot
Site #3 on our tour is the Aurora Depot! This humble depot actually began as a two-room cabin which acted as both living quarters and trading post for Scottish immigrant, John Gillis. Mr. Gillis, after coming to American in 1756 and serving as a patriot in the Revolutionary War, wanted to find a place to settle and begin his new life. So he came to Aurora! Here, during the 1790’s, he constructed the two-room cabin in the same location that would eventually become the Aurora Depot. Fifty years later, the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad Depot was built. On April 4th, 1854, a Cincinnati train bound for Cochran, Indiana, made a stop at the depot and became the first train to pass through Aurora. The Depot remained in active service until 1916. During that period, the building was rebuilt and ownership changed two more times. Baltimore & Ohio South-Western took over in 1893, only to be replaced by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in 1899. The third reconstruction of the Depot building in 1916 gave us the brick walls and tiled roof that are so familiar to us today. This style of architecture, known as “arts and crafts,” is characterized by little ornamentation and low, end-gabled roofs with projecting eaves and exposed rafters. Today, the depot operates as part of the Aurora Public Library District and serves as a Local History Library, holding periodicals dating back to 1836, family histories, census figures, and a collection of books detailing the history of Aurora, Dearborn County, and the surrounding areas.Source(s): City of Aurora Official WebsiteLinks: https://aurora.in.us/library-and-depot.html
Downtown Aurora
Welcome to Site #4! This broad historic district encompasses 272 buildings and covers about 100 acres of property, bounded by Importing, Water, Market, Fifth, and Exporting Streets. The district developed between about 1830 and 1944, and includes examples of Italianate, Federal, and Greek Revival style architecture. Notable buildings within the district include: Aurora City Hall, Aurora Methodist Episcopal Church, Aurora Public Library, First Evangelical Church of Christ, First Presbyterian Church, George Street Bridge, Hillforest, Lewis Hurlbert Sr. House, Leive, Parks and Stapp Opera House, and George Sutton Medical Office. On September 9th, 1994, the Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places.Source(s): SHAARD, WikipediaLinks:https://secure.in.gov/apps/dnr/shaard/guest.html
Aurora City Hall
Welcome to the Aurora City Hall, stop #5 on our tour! This impressive building was constructed in two phases by architects Louis Kreite and the McDonald Brothers. The earlier section (1870) is a two-story, Italianate style brick and stone building. It was purchased in 1882 to house the fire department. The later section (1887) was meant to serve as City Hall. It was built in a Romanesque Revival style with a gable front. Both styles (Romanesque and Italianate) are characteristic of the Late Victorian buildings. The two buildings weren’t connected until 1970. The whole site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 14th, 1996. Currently, this building houses the Lawrenceburg fire station and city hall.Source(s): SHAARDLinks:https://secure.in.gov/apps/dnr/shaard/guest.html
Hillforest House Museum
Stop #6 is the Hillforest House Museum! This building, also known as the Thomas Gaff House, overlooks the Ohio river and sits upon a beatiful 6.9 acre estate. Hillforest was the home of industrialist and financier Thomas Gaff and his family between 1855 and 1891. Gaff was born near Ediburgh, Scotland, in 1808. He came to the United States with his parents when he was only 3, originally settling in Springfield, New Jersey. After a brief stint in Philadelphia, Thomas came to Aurora with his brothers in 1843 and established the T. & J. W. Gaff & Co. Distillery on the banks of Hogan Creek. Along with their brewing interests, the brothers were involved in a number of other businesses, including: farming, Nevada silver mines, a jewelry store in Cincinnati, foundry and machine works, turnpike and canal construction, and two Louisiana plantations. The house, designed by architect Isaiah Rogers (known as the “father of the modern hotel”), is built in the Italian Renaissnce style, as evidenced by the symmetry, broad overhangs, ornately carved brackets, arched windows, and graceful balconies and porches. Interestly, Rogers also took inspiration from shipping and riverboats, which were such important elements of the Gaff business and way of life. This is reflected in the architecture of the house, as seen in the third floor belvedere, which resembes a pilot house. Now its own museum, Hillforest was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 5th, 1971 and was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1992.Source(s): SHAARD, Wikipedia, Hillforest House MuseumVideo source: "Hillforest Mansion, Aurora, Indiana." Youtube, uploaded by History in Your Own Backyard, 31 August 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNQh6THFaxk&feature=emb_logoLinks:https://secure.in.gov/apps/dnr/shaard/guest.htmhttps://www.hillforest.org/
First Evangelical United Church of Christ
Our next site is the First Evangelical United Church of Christ! Also known as the Fifth Street Church and German Reformed Church, this building was originally constructed in 1848 as the second church of the Aurora Baptists. Its Gothic Revival sanctuary is the oldest house of worship in Aurora. The church was used by the Aurora Baptists from 1848-1872; from 1872 until 2010, it was used by the First Evangelical United Church of Christ. The church was remodeled in 1911, and a central front entrance with a steeple replaced the original bell tower. A parish hall was added to the church between 1932 and 1934. The sanctuary today features stunning stained glass windows, an early twentieth century pipe organ, pews and chancel furnishings, and seating for over one hundred people. One of its most distinctive features is a projecting front tower topped by an octagonal spire. On September 23rd, 1994, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Placecs. Today, the building is used for the City of Spires Historical Foundation and Museum. The facilities are available for rental for weddings, vow renewals, meetings, worship, memorial services, and concerts.Source(s): Wikipedia, SHAARD, City of Aurora websiteLinks:https://secure.in.gov/apps/dnr/shaard/guest.htmlhttps://www.aurora.in.us/city-of-spires.html
Laughery Creek Bridge
Welcome to our next stop, the Laughery Creek Bridge! This 300-foot bridge, built by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company in1878, is a particularly interesting landmark. It is an example of a triple intersection Whipple through truss, a variation of the more bridge style, the common double-intersection Pratt. The bridge’s nickname, “Triple Whipple Bridge,” is a clever play on words. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 29th, 1976. After closing in the 1970s, the bridge fell into serious disrepair; luckily, a combination of federal funds and matching funds from Dearborn and Ohio Counties allowed the bridge to be repaired and converted to pedestrian use in 2009.Source(s): SHAARD, WikipediaLinks: https://secure.in.gov/apps/dnr/shaard/guest.html
Veraestau Historic Site
Our final stop is the Veraestau Historic Site, which is also Indiana Landmark’s southeast field office! The name “Veraestau” comes from the Latin words for spring, summer, and fall (no winter allowed!). The house and its 148-acre estate has a long and rich history, shaped and recorded by generations of two families: the Holman/Hamilton clan and the O’Brien/Gibson family. The original log cabin was built by Jesse Lynch Holman (1784-1842) in 1810. Unfortunately, the cabin burned in 1838. Allen Hamilton rebuilt the house in 1838 in the Greek Revival style, incorporing a brick part of the original building which survived the fire. In 1913, Allen’s daughter, Margaret Vance Hamilton, enlarged the house with a two-story addition on the east side. She was assisted by her cousin, Cleveland architect James Montgomery Hamilton, who copied and preserved the Greek Revival style of the 1838 house. In 1937, Cornelius O'Brien added a three-room brick addition to the 1913 west wing with the help of architect John Henri Deeken. The same year, Deeken designed and built stables to match the style of the main house. The property also includes an Indian mound, the family cemetery, and the remains of a kiln. Many arrowheads found on the hill indicate the presence of Indians who inhabited the site prior to Holman's arrival.However, the significance of Veraestau goes beyond its architecture. Over the years, Veraestau has played host to a number of notable visitors and residents responsible for shaping the history of the region, the state, and even the nation. The builder of the original house, Jesse Holman, occupied a seat on the Indiana Supreme Court. Jesse’s son, William S. Holman (1822-1897), became a congressman. Both William and Allen Hamilton (Jesse’s son-in-law) participated in the 1850-1851 delegation that framed Indiana’s constitution. Edith and Alice, Allen Hamilton’s granddaughters, spent their early years at Veraestau. Alice Hamilton, the first woman on the medical faculty at Harvard, became renowned in the field of industrial medicine, and Edith Hamilton became a distinguished author of many books, including her famous Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. In 1933, Industrialist Cornelius O’Brien, an early conservationist and preservationist, bought the estate from the Hamiltons. His daughter Mary O’Brien Gibson nominated Veraestau to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and it was accepted on April 11th, 1973. In 2004, Indiana Landmarks received the 116-acre property as a gift from the Cornelius and Anna Cook O’Brien Foundation.Today, Veraestau offers a beautiful setting for weddings, parties and other happy occasions. The estate also accommodates Indiana Landmarks’ Southeast Field Office.Source(s): Indiana Landmarks, SHAARD, WikipediaVideo source: "Veraestau Historic Sites." Youtube, uploaded by History in Your Own Backyard, 31 October 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=RUwQj1nF_AM&feature=emb_logoLinks:https://secure.in.gov/apps/dnr/shaard/guest.htmlhttps://www.indianalandmarks.org/our-historic-sites/veraestau/
