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 riffin received the
commission to design this library presumably
because he was a friend of a board member's son. When it was
completed, the Library Board as well as the town were quite surprised
by what Griffin created.
riffin combined
natural materials to create a monolithic building for this small
southern Illinois town. The library appears to rise
out of the earth. The walls are covered with rough
cut limestone mined from a local quarry. Griffin balanced
the roughness with a ring of leaded glass
windows at the roof line.
 hen Griffin received
the bid for the construction of the project the lowest came from
a St. Louis contractor. Griffin became concerned his design would
not be carried out. He contacted Chicago master builder F. P.
Mueller to match the bid. Mueller had been the builder of Wright's
Larkin building and Unity Temple. Griffin explained his actions
to the library board saying, "I have always wished Mr. Mueller could
do the work because he has enough artistic temperament to take
pride in a class of work which often is not a commercial advantage." Mueller was hired for the job.
riffin designed
a meeting room in the lower level,
complete with a stage and recessed lighting. that would not interfere
with a performance.
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Ralph Griffin House-1909