History
The village was founded in 1804, and incorporated in 1874.
Former President of the United States Millard Fillmore lived in East Aurora with his wife Abigail from 1826 to 1830. The house he built there while practicing law in the beginning of his political career is currently maintained by the Aurora Historical Society. The 1825 structure is restored to that period and features some original Fillmore furniture of the era, as well as items from Fillmore’s presidential years.
The founder of the Roycroft Movement, Elbert Hubbard, also lived there during the turn of the twentieth century. Hubbard and his wife died on board the RMS Lusitania in 1915. One of the town's most famous landmarks, The Roycroft Inn was opened in 1905 to accommodate the influx of famous visitors attracted by Hubbard’s ideas as well as the books, Mission-style furniture and metalware produced by the 500 Roycroft artisans. The Roycroft Inn was granted National Landmark Status in 1986 and re-opened in June 1995 through the support of the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation. The Roycroft Inn was completely restored and is open to the public for dining and accommodations. The Elbert Hubbard Museum on Oakwood Avenue features an extensive collection of Roycroft books and Arts & Crafts pieces.
East Aurora is also the birthplace of and home to the Corporate Headquarters for Fisher-Price. From 1987 through 2007 the village and the Toy Town Museum (an independent non profit organization located on the Fisher-Price campus) held the Toyfest Festival, which included the Toyfest parade featuring giant replicas of classic Fisher-Price toys. The three day event was usually held at Hamlin Park and included an amusement park, circus-like attractions and a Fisher-Price play area where young children could play with a variety of toys. The museum closed in 2009.
The town was the home of the inaugural owner of the NHL Franchise Buffalo Sabres, Seymour H. Knox. The Knox Estates, now known as Knox Farm, is a 633-acre (2.56 km2) New York State park. It is located on the north-west edge of the village.
Millard Fillmore House, George and Gladys Scheidemantel House, and Roycroft Campus are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Read more about this topic: East Aurora, New York
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