William H. McLean

[4] McLean worked for the Providence and Boston firm of Gould, Angell & Swift and contributed to the design of the Richards Memorial Library, completed in 1894, in North Attleborough, Massachusetts.

[2] Many of the works of McLean and his associates were designed in an elaborate Beaux Arts style, though neither he nor them had much formal training.

However, at this time the one-story plan was adopted as a safer, more economical option for schools outside of heavily urbanized areas.

[12] Despite these controversies, this building type was supported by well-known school architects including Frank Irving Cooper[13] and Dwight Heald Perkins[14] on the grounds of economy and safety.

Additionally, the McLean & Wright-designed Calgary library has been designated a National Historic Site of Canada.