Aurora Village-Wells College Historic District - Wells College

Wells College

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 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 by noted architect A.J. Davis, while the grounds were designed by equally notable architect A.J. Downing.

Another event in the life of Henry Wells happened in 1850 --- he moved with his family from New York City to Aurora to 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, 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 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 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 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 Man-dell 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 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.

• Wells College Boathouse

• Pettibone House

• Zabriskie Hall

• Glen Park