Hillforest House Museum

Stop #6 is the Hillforest House Museum! This building, also known as the Thomas Gaff House, overlooks the Ohio river and sits upon a beatiful 6.9 acre estate. Hillforest was the home of industrialist and financier Thomas Gaff and his family between 1855 and 1891. Gaff was born near Ediburgh, Scotland, in 1808. He came to the United States with his parents when he was only 3, originally settling in Springfield, New Jersey. After a brief stint in Philadelphia, Thomas came to Aurora with his brothers in 1843 and established the T. & J. W. Gaff & Co. Distillery on the banks of Hogan Creek. Along with their brewing interests, the brothers were involved in a number of other businesses, including: farming, Nevada silver mines, a jewelry store in Cincinnati, foundry and machine works, turnpike and canal construction, and two Louisiana plantations. The house, designed by architect Isaiah Rogers (known as the “father of the modern hotel”), is built in the Italian Renaissnce style, as evidenced by the symmetry, broad overhangs, ornately carved brackets, arched windows, and graceful balconies and porches. Interestly, Rogers also took inspiration from shipping and riverboats, which were such important elements of the Gaff business and way of life. This is reflected in the architecture of the house, as seen in the third floor belvedere, which resembes a pilot house. Now its own museum, Hillforest was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 5th, 1971 and was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1992.

Source(s): SHAARD, Wikipedia, Hillforest House Museum

Video source: "Hillforest Mansion, Aurora, Indiana." Youtube, uploaded by History in Your Own Backyard, 31 August 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNQh6THFaxk&feature=emb_logo

Links:

https://secure.in.gov/apps/dnr/shaard/guest.htm

https://www.hillforest.org/