The original building, built in 1903, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

[2] The city and the estate failed to reach an agreement, so the Francis Shaw Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution took over leadership of the effort and raised the necessary funds.

Chicago architect Dwight H. Perkins designed the single-story Romanesque Revival-style building that was built of native limestone.

The side-gabled structure featured a reading room on one side of the building and the book stacks on the other.

[2] The present library building, also composed of native limestone, was opened on November 8, 2004.