The Lincoln Branch Library was built of brick and limestone in the Late Gothic Revival style.

[2] Two years later the Duluth Art Institute (DAI) purchased the vacated library building.

[3] In 2013 the Lincoln Branch Library building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its local significance in the theme of social history.

[2] The Lincoln Branch Library is a rectangular, single-story building in Late Gothic Revival style.

The exterior facade is brown and dark red brickwork, arranged in Flemish bond, contrasted with limestone trim.

In the middle of the pediment a shield motif bears the initials "DPL", standing for Duluth Public Library.

The ground and first floor are separated by a beveled limestone belt course, above which are symmetrically arranged carved stone shields.

[6] The southwest façade features a large gable end with a three-tiered Gothic window framed in limestone.

The window is flanked by two stone shields, and above it is a limestone band near the gable's peak in the shape of an "ɪ".

There is a ground-level entrance to the west under a flat roof portion, consisting of a pair of wooden doors with arched glass panels.

[6] The northeast face is similar to the southwest; the gable has the same window, stone shields, and I-shaped band.

A large conifer stands at the southern corner of the building, and there is a deciduous tree east of the main entrance.

Abraham Holstead and William J. Sullivan were chosen as the architects and Joseph Hanson served as contractor.