By Sheila Edmunds, Village Historian

The building known as Peter Fort House displays a tranquil aesthetic. Begun for Daniel Shepard (1771-1819), an attorney, who was one of Aurora’s earliest settlers (he came to Aurora  in 1793), the building was unfinished at the time of his death, and was completed by his eldest child, Charles.

The house was acquired from Charles in 1838 by Peter Fort (1783-1875), who according to his Reminiscences travelled all over the United States looking for a house that pleased him. After his death it was acquired by Wells College for faculty housing. The porch, which obscures the proportions of the façade,  was erected ca. 1895 despite the protests of the professorial resident.

Peter Fort House is now in private possession.