After examining the library system in Pittsburgh and consulting its head librarian, the board requested $25,000 and pledged $2,500 annually; Carnegie accepted this offer.

Brick walls, trimmed with oolite, rest on a foundation of Bedford limestone, and the structure is topped with a roof of red tiles.

Large crowds attended the laying ceremony; an orator from the Grand Lodge of Ohio was the primary speaker, and members of the leading families of Darke County provided patriotic music.

The finished structure, built of brick and stone in a manner similar to the library, featured a large auditorium and a range of classrooms for the city's students.

Approximately 4 acres (1.6 ha) of land around the buildings were included in the area designated as historic;[1] much of which has been part of a park created during the process of moving the city high school.