Doors Open Aurora arrives Saturday

August 14, 2013 · 0 Comments

By Vanessa Hicks
Program Manager, Heritage Planning
Town of Aurora

The eigth annual Doors Open Aurora event takes place on Saturday, August 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This year, Doors Open Aurora features 17 participating sites of natural, architectural, and historical significance. Made possible with the help of dedicated community volunteers, Doors Open Aurora offers local residents and visitors the opportunity to experience Aurora’s history and unique cultural heritage.

Since Doors Open Aurora began in 2006, almost 17,000 site visits have been recorded amongst 130 Participating Sites with the help of almost 700 volunteers. New additions to this year’s event include: Horton Place, Wells Street Schoolhouse Lofts, the Tailor’s House, and the walking tour “Vision to Virtue Aurora: The Little Town that Did” hosted by David Heard.

More than half of this year’s Doors Open Aurora participating sites are featured in the vicinity of the Southeast Old Aurora Community. This area is bordered to the north by Wellington Street East, to the West by Yonge Street, and to the East by the Railway/GO Transit Line.

Heritage sites within this historical area include: the Aurora Armoury, Trinity Anglican Church, Victoria Hall, the Aurora Cultural Centre and the Rising Sun Masonic Lodge. Many of these properties are within walking distance from one another and are in the vicinity of the Doors Open Aurora headquarters at Town Park.

The Southeast Old Aurora community is the first residential subdivision of Aurora, then known as “Machell’s Corners”.
The anticipated arrival of the Ontario, Simcoe & Huron Railway in 1853 inspired John Mosley to subdivide his farmland into lots to incorporate new growth.

These lots were thoughtfully arranged, most of which being the same size and rectangular in shape. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, homes were constructed in various architectural styles, creating a unique and aesthetically pleasing landscape. Today, the Southeast Old Aurora community is known by many local residents as the “heart” of the Town.

Join us at this year’s event and experience many more featured sites such as the Benjamin Stephenson house, the Absalom Blaker house and Merlin’s Hollow.

Visitors to Doors Open Aurora will also have the opportunity to visit the Aurora Farmers’ Market and Artisan Fair from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 17.

For additional information about Doors Open Aurora and to print a copy of the Doors Open Aurora 2013 Map Guide, please visit www.aurora.ca/doorsopen2013.

Map Guides will also be available at the Doors Open Aurora headquarters booth at Town Park, located at Mosley Street and Wells Street and other Doors Open Aurora participating sites on the day of the event.