The village was named by Captain Benjamin Ledyard, who settled there in 1793, in the post-Revolutionary development of the Finger Lakes region.

Up until the mid-nineteenth century, Aurora played an important part in the history of Central New York.

A steam-powered flour mill was built in 1817, the first of its kind west of Albany and contributed to Aurora's role as a commercial point.

Its notable business entrepreneurs included Henry Wells, founder of American Express and Wells Fargo, whose express mail and banking services spanned New York state and reached to the developing state of California.

They include commercial buildings, the Masonic temple, three churches, residential homes, barns and two cemeteries.

Built in 1898 through funds from Louise Morgan Zabriskie, the Tudor Revival style Aurora Free Library/Morgan Opera House served until 1996 as the public library and town hall.

At that time, several physical improvements were made and the Italianate features were added before the bank opened.

New York State Governor DeWitt Clinton, also Grand Master of the Masons, laid the cornerstone for the existing structure in 1819.

The imposing Taylor House on the east side of Main Street was built around 1838 and was the site of many village celebrations.

[12] Another event in the life of Henry Wells happened in 1850 — he moved with his family from New York City to Aurora to a large house that stood on the east side of Court Street in the middle of what is now Cherry Avenue.

Henry Wells purchased thirty-eight acres of this farm, a strip of land beginning at Cayuga Lake and running eastward north of the ravine.

"The house is of Tuscan villa architecture — the outer walls are of blue limestone, the inner of brick with a chamber between, rendering them impervious to dampness and making the rooms cool in summer and warm in winter.

On the newel at the bottom of the circular staircase in Glen Park is a silver plate engraved as follows: "C. N. Otis, Architect; N. H. McGrath, Builder.

Afterward he was the architect of the first Wells College building, the three churches, and several residences including that of Edwin B. Morgan.

[2] In addition, the noted architecture firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed the Louis Jefferson Long Library according to the "Field Theory" in 1968.