The library received a $10,000 grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York on December 13, 1906.

[2] The Des Moines architectural firm of Hallett & Rawson designed the building.

It was built using limestone from a nearby area now known as Taft Park.

The rough texture of the rock-faced stone and the portico columns in the Tuscan order give the building a rustic appearance.

[3] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.