Aurora Historical Society

06/04/2026

🎉 Excitement is in the air! Get ready to be part of something extraordinary at Aurora Historical Society's Historic Home Tour. It's an event like no other, and we want you to be there! 🎉

The Aurora Historical Society’s Historic Home Tour will look a little different this year but in the best way! We will be featuring one extraordinary historic property, the Chauncey Eggleston House, paired with cake and refreshments on the porch of the Baldwin House to celebrate its 200 year anniversary, as well as visitation to the Deed House and the Aurora Historical Society Museum (wine and cheese following the tour). Tickets are live and you can purchase at this link: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/aurora-historic-society-historic-home-tour

For the next 4 weeks we'll give you more information about each stop.

Featured Home: Chauncey Eggleston House (432 Eggleston Rd.)

This year’s featured home is the Chauncey Eggleston House, built around 1831 by Chauncey Eggleston himself. Eggleston was an important figure in early Aurora history. Born in Massachusetts in 1786, he arrived in Aurora in 1807 and became a blacksmith, framer, mill operator, real estate investor, and civic leader. He served in the Ohio State Legislature and rose to the rank of General in the local militia.

The home he built reflects the Federal architectural style, known for its symmetrical design, low-pitched gable roof, and distinctive front doorway featuring a semi-elliptical fanlight and sidelights. These architectural details, and the story of the man who built it, make this property a remarkable piece of Aurora’s history.

Join us to learn more about the history, architecture, and stories behind this beautiful historic home during this unique, in-depth tour experience, with docents, including featured docent AHS Director John Kudley, and horticulturists in the garden to share information about the beautiful gardens.

05/29/2026

America 250: Aurora’s Story - The Flood That Changed Aurora

As America prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, the Aurora Historical Society is looking back at the local stories that shaped our community, not only moments of celebration, but also moments of loss, resilience, and change.

One of those moments came in March 1913, when the Great Flood swept across Ohio. In Aurora, floodwaters along Silver Creek destroyed remnants of one of the community’s early industrial centers, including the old mill and factory landscape that had once helped power pioneer-era Aurora.

Across Ohio, the Great Flood of 1913 remains one of the state’s most devastating weather disasters, affecting communities throughout the region and reshaping how Ohioans thought about water, infrastructure, and public safety.

For Aurora, the flood reminds us that history is not only found in grand monuments or famous names. Sometimes it is found in a creek bed, a washed-out mill site, a forgotten factory foundation, or a story passed down because someone understood that change itself was worth remembering.

As we commemorate America 250, we honor Aurora’s place in the larger American story: a community shaped by pioneers, industry, disaster, rebuilding, and memory.

📍 Do you have family stories, photographs, or memories connected to Silver Creek, Aurora’s early mills, or the 1913 flood? We would love to hear from you.

Learn more by clicking here: https://youtu.be/W55jp2o85E8?si=1d4NdYHk6u9b2Pvf

05/27/2026

Aurora’s history was on the road today!

Aurora Historical Society Director John Kudley had the pleasure of presenting to the Rotary Club of Aurora on Aurora’s rich and fascinating history, from the people and places that shaped our community to the stories that continue to connect us today.

We are always grateful for opportunities to share Aurora’s past with civic organizations, neighbors, and community partners. Thank you to the Rotary Club of Aurora for welcoming the Aurora Historical Society and helping keep local history alive.

Want to learn more about Aurora’s story? Visit the Aurora Historical Society & Museum and follow along as we continue preserving and sharing the history of our community.

Thank you to John Kudley, President of The Aurora Historical Society for educating us on Aurora’s rich history. Please visit www.aurorahistorical.org for more information.

05/24/2026

Congratulations to the Class of 2026!

The Aurora Historical Society is especially proud to celebrate our student intern, Kamryn Taylor, on her graduation. Kamryn has been a wonderful part of our organization, and we are grateful for the time, energy, and curiosity she has shared with us.

Kamryn, we are incredibly proud of you and excited to see all that you will accomplish next. Congratulations!

05/24/2026

The Aurora Historical Society joins Christine and family in honoring the life of Timothy D. Holder.

Tim was deeply committed to serving the Aurora community. He was a Life Member of the Aurora Historical Society, served as an AHS Trustee, and was President of the Society from 2008–2010. His dedication to preservation also included service on Aurora’s Landmark Commission, along with membership in American Legion Clare Eggleston Post 803 and the Sons of the American Revolution.

A celebration of Tim’s life will be held:

Sunday, May 24, 2026
Noon–3:00 PM
Aurora Memorial Library Gallery

We are grateful for Tim’s leadership, friendship, and lasting contributions to Aurora’s history and community life. Please join us in remembering and celebrating him.

05/22/2026

🌟 What an Incredible Evening! 🌟

A huge THANK YOU to the 30+ wonderful neighbors and history lovers who joined us tonight at the Aurora Historical Society & Museum for our "Aurora & America 250" program! 🇺🇸✨ It was truly special traveling through time together, from our early settlers in the American Revolution to Aurora’s growth into the vibrant community it is today.

Of course, a historical journey is always better with amazing food! We hope everyone enjoyed the delicious spread:
• 🥓 Bacon-wrapped smokies
• 🍤 Coconut shrimp
• 🇮🇹 Fried ravioli & crispy fried pickle strips
• 🥔 Deviled potatoes
• 🍰 Fresh strawberry shortcake with juicy strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream
• 🍫 Sweet Rice Krispies treats drizzled with white chocolate

🍓 A Special Thanks to Our Sponsor!

We want to extend a massive shoutout and thank you to The Campus of Anna Maria of Aurora for generously sponsoring our event.

Community spirit is what keeps Aurora’s history alive. Thank you all for making tonight such a memorable success!

Missed the event? Keep an eye on our page for future programs and updates from the Aurora Historical Society!

05/21/2026

Tonight's the night ...

Aurora & America 250

Join the Aurora Historical Society for a special community program exploring Aurora’s place in America’s 250-year story.

📅 Thursday, May 21
🕡 6:30 PM
📍 Aurora Historical Society & Museum
Aurora Memorial Library Gallery

From Aurora’s earliest settlers and their ties to the American Revolution to our community’s growth from village to city, this program will highlight the people, places, challenges, and changes that shaped Aurora’s role in the Western Reserve, Northeast Ohio, and the nation.

This is a wonderful opportunity to connect local history with America’s semiquincentennial celebration — and to see how Aurora’s story fits into the larger American story.

Sponsored by The Campus of Anna Maria of Aurora.

We hope you’ll join us for an evening of history, community, and reflection.

05/18/2026

Most people in Aurora have never heard of it, but during the early 1940s there was actually a small Gandhian pacifist commune here called Ahimsa Farm.

“Ahimsa” is a Sanskrit word meaning nonviolence or non-harming. The farm was founded around 1940 by young pacifists influenced by Gandhi, Quaker ideals, and the Fellowship of Reconciliation. It was located in the rural farm country of eastern Aurora near today’s Chamberlain/Bartlett Road area.

Residents tried to build a cooperative community based on:
• nonviolence
• racial equality
• shared labor
• simple living

They farmed during the day and held discussions at night about peace, civil rights, and social change — years before the better-known civil rights sit-ins of the 1950s and 60s.

One of the farm’s members, Western Reserve University student, Lee Stern, later became deeply involved in civil-rights and peace activism. He participated in early efforts to challenge segregation at public swimming pools in the Cleveland area, including protests connected to the segregated Garfield Park pool. Decades later he also became active in anti–Vietnam War organizing and helped found major international peace efforts including Peace Brigades International.

The Ahimsa Farm community itself only lasted a few years, fading during World War II as many members became conscientious objectors or moved into broader activism. The property eventually returned to ordinary agricultural use, and no physical trace of the commune appears to remain today.

But for a brief moment, rural Aurora was home to a remarkable experiment in peaceful communal living whose influence reached far beyond Portage County.

Local history can surprise you.

05/18/2026

This week...

Aurora & America 250

Join the Aurora Historical Society for a special community program exploring Aurora’s place in America’s 250-year story.

📅 Thursday, May 21
🕡 6:30 PM
📍 Aurora Historical Society & Museum
Aurora Memorial Library Gallery

From Aurora’s earliest settlers and their ties to the American Revolution to our community’s growth from village to city, this program will highlight the people, places, challenges, and changes that shaped Aurora’s role in the Western Reserve, Northeast Ohio, and the nation.

This is a wonderful opportunity to connect local history with America’s semiquincentennial celebration and to see how Aurora’s story fits into the larger American story.

Sponsored by The Campus of Anna Maria of Aurora.

We hope you’ll join us for an evening of history, community, and reflection.