THE FARMHOUSE AT INNS OF AURORA || How a 19th-Century Farmhouse Completed a Finger Lakes Legacy
For nearly two centuries, the 1835 farmhouse on the hill above Aurora, New York sat as the last major historic structure on the Inns of Aurora campus left untouched, a quiet omission in an otherwise complete story.
That omission has now been resolved. Interdisciplinary design firm Hart Howerton, which previously led the design of the property's award-winning Spa, has overseen the full restoration and expansion of the Farmhouse at Inns of Aurora Resort & Spa: a project that is at once an act of preservation, a design statement, and the closing chapter of a decades-long commitment to place.
Originally built as the centrepiece of Benjamin Gould's 140-acre farm, the red brick Greek Revival structure is one of Aurora's most significant historic homes. Hart Howerton's restoration was deliberate and unhurried. The masonry was repointed and cleaned, the trim recreated, and the columned porch returned to its original prominence. Nothing was invented; everything was recovered.
A sculptural glass chandelier anchors the parlour of the historic Farmhouse, where a deep teal velvet sofa, leather wingback chair, and koi pond artwork together articulate Hart Howerton's layered approach to colour and collection.
Inside the historic home, the four suites are the most expansive rooms in the Inns of Aurora portfolio. The parlours, dining room, and study retain their original layout, layered with rich colour, custom wall coverings, and more than 30 works of American art drawn from the personal collection of founder Pleasant T. Rowland. The dining room is anchored by hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper depicting fruit trees in bloom, a room that feels less designed than grown. Bathrooms throughout pair stone and tile with muted palettes of pale blue and cream, elevated with brass fixtures and intricate patterned marble floors.
Hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper wraps the dining room in flowering branches and birds, framing a dark oval table set for twelve beneath a brass chandelier fitted with red shades.
A freestanding black soaking tub sits in a bathroom tiled in soft blue herringbone, its brass fixtures and patterned marble floor reflecting the historic suite's careful balance of ornament and calm.
The new wing, housing six Meadow Studios, offers a deliberately different experience. Drawing from the same pared-back agricultural language as the Spa, the addition features simple gabled roofs, standing-seam metal, and natural oak millwork. The studios rise to 19-foot ceilings with large windows framing views of Cayuga Lake and the surrounding meadows. Entry alcoves, described by the design team as "shed-the-day" spaces, invite guests to leave the outside world behind, physically and mentally, before stepping into the main room. Private patios extend each studio outward, blurring the line between interior comfort and landscape.
A built-in window bench in mint upholstery faces an unobstructed view of the frozen Cayuga Lake landscape, capturing the quiet intimacy of the Farmhouse's contemporary Meadow Studios.
Soaring ceilings and a floor-to-ceiling glazed door opening onto a private patio define the Meadow Studios, where a leather bench, canopy bed frame, and textured drapes establish a restrained, grounded palette.
Connecting the two structures are light-filled galleries and bridges that stitch the old and new together without erasing the distinction between them. This is the Farmhouse's most considered gesture: the historic home and the contemporary wing remain legible in their own right, held together by Hart Howerton's understanding that, when handled with care, contrast can produce coherence.
The project also introduces an exclusive wellness dimension. A private treatment room, reserved solely for Farmhouse guests, offers the resort's most restorative therapies under the name Farmhouse Rituals. These include treatments developed in partnership with Biologique Recherche, making the Inns of Aurora the only destination in the Finger Lakes to offer them. The experience extends naturally to the full Spa, where hydrotherapy pools, saunas, and meditation spaces await.
A tufted green velvet sofa and cane armchair occupy a fully saturated sage-green study, where original mouldings, panelled doors, and a framed floral painting speak to the careful preservation of the Farmhouse's historic character.
The Farmhouse is also the resort's first property located off Main Street, positioned adjacent to the Spa on the hillside above the village. Its placement is intentional: it sits between the 19th-century inns below and the contemporary Spa above, functioning as a physical and conceptual bridge across the entire campus.
The Inns of Aurora was awarded One MICHELIN Key in 2025. The Farmhouse, opened in February 2026, now stands as its finest expression.
PROJECT DETAILS
Project: The Farmhouse at Inns of Aurora Resort & Spa
Location: Aurora, New York, USA
Owner: The Inns of Aurora
Architecture, Interiors & Landscape: Hart Howerton
Contractor: Welliver
Opened: February 2026
Accommodation: 10 rooms and suites (4 historic suites, 6 Meadow Studios)
