SAVE THE GIESY HOUSE

Help Preserve Aurora’s History—And Become Part of Its Story

A piece of Aurora’s history is waiting for its next chapter, and we need your help to make that chapter possible.

Imagine stepping through the doors of a home built in 1907 and seeing the craftsmanship of another era still surrounding you—beautiful leaded-glass windows, original hardwood floors, matching door trim and wainscoting, and even an original hand-painted portrait of Mt. Hood on the wall.

That home is the Giesy House.

Located in the heart of historic downtown Aurora, the Giesy House is far more than an old building. It is a living connection to the people, families, and stories that helped shape our community.

A House With a Remarkable History

The Giesy House was built in 1907 by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Giesy, a third-generation member of one of Aurora’s original pioneer families.

The Giesy family’s story reaches back to 1855, when Dr. Ben’s father, Dr. Martin Giesy, journeyed west with the pioneers. Born in 1875, Dr. Ben followed in his father’s footsteps and became one of the few physicians serving the Aurora area.

He earned his medical license in 1896.

The Giesy House served not only as the family residence but also as the town doctor’s office. Former patients remembered entering through a side porch into a waiting room featuring a painted mountain landscape.

If the walls of this home could speak, they would tell stories of hope, healing, family, hardship, and everyday life in early Aurora.

Those stories are worth preserving.

The Remarkable Details Are Still Here

More than a century after it was built, much of the Giesy House’s original character remains beautifully intact.

Inside are:

Original leaded-glass windows

Original hardwood floors

Matching original door trim and wainscoting

An original painted portrait of Mt. Hood in the historic waiting room

Architectural details that reflect the craftsmanship of the early 1900s

These irreplaceable features are exactly why saving this house matters.

But preserving history takes more than admiration. It takes action.

The Giesy House Needs Your Help

A recent inspection revealed that the house needs significant restoration and modernization to ensure it can survive and serve the community for generations to come.

Critical work includes:

• A new roof and gutters
• Replacement of failing plumbing
• Updating the outdated electrical system, including knob-and-tube wiring
• Installation of a modern HVAC system
• Updates to the kitchen and bathroom
• A new laundry area
• Insulation improvements
• Wall and flooring repairs
• Updated lighting
• Exterior staircase replacement
• Tree removal and other essential exterior work

Every donation will go toward the restoration and preservation of the Giesy House.

Whether you give $25, $100, $500, or more, your contribution helps move this historic home one step closer to a secure and vibrant future.

Why Saving the Giesy House Matters

Aurora is a community unlike any other.

Founded in 1856, Aurora is Oregon’s first National Historic District and the only successful 19th-century utopian Christian colony in the American West. Today, the town is celebrated for its historic buildings, German heritage, museums, antiques, and distinctive small-town character.

The Giesy House is part of that story.

Located in the heart of Aurora’s historic downtown, its restoration can help preserve the character of Main Street while bringing new life and purpose to this remarkable property.

Our vision is to honor the home's history while giving it a future. During restoration, the house will first serve as a primary residence. Long-term, the vision is to operate a business from the property, potentially including a bed and breakfast or leasable retail spaces.

We don't want to simply save an old house. We want to restore a piece of Aurora's identity and give it another hundred years of purpose.

Your Name Can Become Part of the Giesy House Story

There is something special we want to do for the people who help make this restoration possible.

At the completion of the restoration, we will create and seal a time capsule inside the Giesy House.

It will commemorate this important moment in the home's history and recognize the individual donors, businesses, and partners whose generosity helped save it.

Your name could be discovered decades—or even a century—from now by someone standing inside this same house.

Imagine a future generation opening that time capsule and finding the names of the people who came together to say:

“This house matters. Aurora’s history matters. And we wanted to help save it.”

By donating today, you can become a permanent part of the Giesy House story.

Your gift helps restore the house now—and your name can remain within its walls as a reminder of the people who helped give it a future.

Help Us Write the Next Chapter

The Giesy House has already survived more than a century.

It has witnessed generations come and go. It has been a family home, a doctor’s office, a place of healing, and a quiet witness to the changing story of Aurora.

Now it needs us.

We have the opportunity to preserve its architecture, protect its original features, honor the Giesy family legacy, and ensure that this remarkable home continues to contribute to the life of downtown Aurora.

Your donation can help make that possible.

No gift is too small. Every dollar brings us closer to restoration.

Please consider making a donation today—and please share this campaign with friends, family, businesses, history lovers, and anyone who believes that preserving our past helps build a stronger future.

Help SAVE the Giesy House.

Help preserve Aurora’s history.

Help write its next chapter.

And leave your name behind for future generations to discover.

Donate Today

Together, we can save the Giesy House, preserve its stories and craftsmanship, and give this remarkable piece of Aurora’s history a future worthy of its past.

Preserving history isn't just about saving a building. It's about saving the stories, memories, people, and places that make a community who it is.

Thank you for believing that the Giesy House—and the history it represents—is worth saving.