Aurora Hotel, listed on the NRHP in Massachusetts
The Aurora Hotel is a six-story building in Worcester, Massachusetts, constructed in 1898 in the Classical Revival style with decorative stone carvings and pressed metal details on windows and cornices. The structure displays formal symmetrical design with classical architectural elements inspired by ancient Greek and Roman architecture.
The hotel was built in 1898 for Charles Stevens, son of a prominent Worcester family, embodying the family's wealth and influence in the city. After renovations in the 1920s and 1940s, it closed in 1982, was converted to apartments in 1985, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
The Aurora Hotel takes its name from the Roman goddess of dawn, reflecting the classical refinement that its builder Charles Stevens envisioned for Worcester. Today it functions as a gallery space for contemporary art, merging the building's late 19th-century architecture with the city's ongoing creative life.
The building is located centrally on Main Street in Worcester, surrounded by other historic sites, shops, and public spaces easily reached on foot. The thick walls from its era provide sound insulation, and visitors can explore the gallery hosting contemporary art exhibitions within the historic setting.
In the 1920s the hotel was known for hosting a lively jazz scene with live music and dancing, making it a popular destination for entertainment and social gatherings. This golden period of cultural activity still shapes how the building is understood today as a vital part of the city's story.
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