Side A: James Willard Converse (1806-1892) opened his store in 1825 at 10 South Chillicothe Road. Serving residents, merchants, and travelers, the store proved central to Aurora’s early commercial development. Converse’s Daybook survives as a glimpse into the habits of early citizens, who, along with household items, regularly purchased whiskey. Surprisingly, such sales surged on George Washington’s February 22 birthday. Converse deeded the business to employee Seth A. Gillett in 1834. Hopson Hurd Sr. (1793-1869) purchased it from Gillett in 1845. Hurd’s store was popular with local farmers who used their home made cheese as legal tender and enjoyed the barrel of whiskey kept in Hurd’s basement for customers who paid their bills. Hurd added a cheese warehouse to his store and, as a major exporter of cheese to Cleveland, Warren, and Pittsburgh, amassed a sizeable fortune.
Side B: The Greek Revival building sitting at the corner of two commercial routes, served as a mercantile business as well as a fabric store, real estate office, and insurance agency for almost two centuries. Andrew Guy Hanes Sr. (1895-1977), acquired the former store at auction in 1948. He modernized it while retaining the original woodwork, windows, beams, and flooring. From 1956 to 1990, it housed the Country Development Company, a major real estate developer in Aurora following World War II. The building was rented to The Edward H. Sutton Insurance Agency for almost forty years. In 2023, the City of Aurora purchased the building to preserve its Aurora history. The Converse-Hurd Store is part of the Aurora Center Historic District that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
614.297.2300
Contact Us
