Built in 1863 as the Pavilion Congregational Church, the church building was falling into disrepair after the church ran into difficulty, and stopped holding services.  The City purchased the building in 1902 and moved McArthur Public Library, oddly also established in 1863, to the renovated church building.

The steeple was struck by lightening shortly afterwards, and since it wasn't a church anymore, the belfry was simply capped off, which gives the building its distinctive shape.

In the 1980's, in an effort to gain more space, the library added a new entry way.  This freed up space in the old entry way, which was a large foyer, and added valuable floor space to the second floor, in a room above the entryway.