The Aurora Elks Lodge No. 705 was designed by architects Zimmerman, Saxe & Zimmerman and constructed in 1926 in the Mayan Revival style. In the 1920s, a wave of U.S. writers and archaeologists became interested in Mayan culture. Writers like Alma Reed, who completed a Yucatan expedition in 1923, shared their findings with the public in journals. Subsequently, architects began experimenting with Mayan designs in their commissions across the country. In addition to its unique application of the Mayan Revival style, this example in Aurora is notable for its use of materials, including clinker bricks (dark-colored units fired closest to the kiln heat source) that protrude at varying angles. Geometric glyphs and grotesques are pressed into terra cotta units, which clad and accentuate the building on the second floor, at the cornice, and around window openings. The building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 for its architectural significance.