Fred Pfeiffer, a local philanthropist, offered to fund a new structure next door to the Carnegie Library, if the old building were kept intact.

[5] The Federated Women's Clubs of Guthrie established a library board and requested a grant from Andrew Carnegie to construct a building.

[3] They probably collected books and furnished up the meeting room, since that was the usual arrangement for Carnegie libraries.

[3] The Guthrie library was the last Carnegie library in Oklahoma to use his grant money for such an expenditure,[4] Significant historical events at the building included the 1906 inauguration of the last territorial governor, Frank Frantz and the November 16, 1907 inauguration of the first state governor, Charles N.

A statue on the grounds of the library/museum complex commemorates the symbolic wedding of Mr. Oklahoma and Miss Indian Territory during Governor Haskell's inaugural.

The first floor of the new building presents exhibits about the Land Run and the lifestyle of settlers in the Oklahoma Territory.