Alfred the Gorilla
Alfred died on 10 March 1948. The press at the time speculated that ‘his pet hate got him in the end’, linking Alfred's dislike of aeroplanes with the passage of one over the zoo shortly before his death. The actual cause of his demise was tuberculosis which he contracted a year before and despite his keepers best efforts, he had been unable to recover. His death was mourned by many of the regular visitors to the zoo, some of whom were even inspired to compose poems in his honour.
Alfred Historic District
Alfred was settled in the 1760s and incorporated in 1794. The oldest surviving buildings in the village date to this time, although most of them have alterations giving them a 19th-century appearance. One example of this is the c. 1770 "Barn Knight's Barn" house, which dates to this period but has later Italianate styling applied. Alfred was named the county seat of York County in the early 19th century, stimulating a period of growth. The village was where a number of prominent lawyers made their homes, due to its proximity to the county courthouse. The most famous of these was John Holmes, who arrived in 1794 and was influential in the selection of Alfred as the county seat. His house was built in 1802 as a Cape, and raised to a full two stories in 1812; it is known as the "bow and arrow" house for some of its decorative elements, and is separately listed on the National Register for its association with Holmes.