A national competition was held in 1893 to pick a design for a building to house both the public library and the public museum.
 Seventy-four entries were received, including one from Frank Lloyd Wright.
The winning design submitted by Ferry & Clas of Milwaukee was for a building one block long and designed in a combination of French and Italian renaissance styles known as Neo-renaissance.
The south facade's colonnade over a base may have been inspired by the east front of the Louvre in Paris.
 The building was designed in a U-shape to provide a common entrance for the library and museum but to keep the facilities separate.
Construction costs for the monumental building, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, were $780,000.

In the entrance to the library, mosaic tile floors were hand-laid by master Italian craftsmen who had settled in Milwaukee.
Tessera, the small squarish pieces of colored marble or tile, were used in the entrance and in the Art, Music and Recreation Department.
The tessera in the entrance floor are smaller than normal, allowing for a more detailed design.
Over the years, the building has settled, cracking and damaging the floor and columns.
In 2008, a restoration of the mosaic tile floors was begun.
Some of the materials used in the interior are yellow Sienna marble, brass and stained glass (lighting fixtures), hardwoods such as oak and mahogany, and scagliola (used for the pillars).
 The trim on top of the wainscoting in the corridor is called "egg and dart", and is replicated in renovated areas throughout the library.
The bay leaf garland design found above the doors in the corridor is actually made of painted plaster, not carved wood.
A national competition was held in 1893 to pick a design for a building to house both the public library and the public museum.  Seventy-four entries were received, including one from Frank Lloyd Wright. The winning design submitted by Ferry & Clas of Milwaukee was for a building one block long and designed in a combination of French and Italian renaissance styles known as Neo-renaissance. The south facade's colonnade over a base may have been inspired by the east front of the Louvre in Paris.  The building was designed in a U-shape to provide a common entrance for the library and museum but to keep the facilities separate. Construction costs for the monumental building, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, were $780,000.
In the entrance to the library, mosaic tile floors were hand-laid by master Italian craftsmen who had settled in Milwaukee. Tessera, the small squarish pieces of colored marble or tile, were used in the entrance and in the Art, Music and Recreation Department. The tessera in the entrance floor are smaller than normal, allowing for a more detailed design. Over the years, the building has settled, cracking and damaging the floor and columns. In 2008, a restoration of the mosaic tile floors was begun. Some of the materials used in the interior are yellow Sienna marble, brass and stained glass (lighting fixtures), hardwoods such as oak and mahogany, and scagliola (used for the pillars).  The trim on top of the wainscoting in the corridor is called "egg and dart", and is replicated in renovated areas throughout the library. The bay leaf garland design found above the doors in the corridor is actually made of painted plaster, not carved wood.
Central Library (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)