The Gann Building - Benton, AR
Posted by: 
Raven
N 34° 33.702 W 092° 35.288
15S E 537782 N 3824516
An official marker by the Gann Museum in downtown Benton preserves the history of this very unique building -- the world's only known building constructed out of bauxite.
Waymark Code: WMZ38T
Location: Arkansas, United States
Date Posted: 09/04/2018
Views: 10
Per
Wikipedia:
"The Gann Building is a historic building located at 218 S. Market St. in Benton, Arkansas. The building, which was built in 1893, is the only known extant building to have been built out of bauxite. Dr. Dewell Gann, Sr., had the building constructed as an office for his medical practice; the building was built by his patients in lieu of payment for medical services. After his office became successful, Gann helped establish the Saline County Medical Society. Gann's son, Dewell Gann, Jr., also worked in the office; Gann, Jr., was a successful physician as well and was named a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1925. The office was converted to a city library in 1946, and later became a local museum in 1967. The Gann Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 21, 1975."
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The marker reads as follows:
"
THE GANN BUILDING
Built in 1983, the office of Dr. Dewell Gann,
Sr. is the only known bauxite building in
existence. The building was constructed by
patients who could not afford to pay for
services he had rendered them. The soft stone
was dug from a farm nearby, sawn into blocks
with a handsaw and allowed to harden for
six weeks. The building served as he Gann
Medical Office until 1946 when it was given
by Dr. Dewell Gann Jr., to the City of Benton
to be used as a library and later a museum.
Benton-Saline County Bicentennial Committee 1976"