When Kendall Young passed away in 1896 the citizens of Webster City were surprised to learn that Mr. Young had left his estate valued at $150,000 to the City of Webster City, in trust, “for the establishment and maintenance of a free public library.” The construction of the Beaux Arts style library was completed in 1905 at a cost of $50,000. Special features included gold marble columns from Africa, terrazzo and mosaic floors, stained glass windows and a stained glass dome.
In 1984 a fundraising campaign was started to raise money for an addition to the library. After receiving two donations, each in excess of one million dollars and many smaller gifts, the architectural firm of Meyer, Scherer and Rockcastle was hired to design a seamless addition. Construction began in March 1997 and was completed in November of 1998. The original library was 9600 sq. ft. and the expansion increased the size to 22,300 sq. ft. The beauty of the original building was maintained and stained glass windows and terrazzo floors were included in the expansion to enhance the appearance of the seamless addition.