The El Campo Library Association began the city's first library in 1902. A public library opened at the downtown fire station in 1927. After a branch of the Wharton County Library was established in El Campo in 1939, this facility was completed in 1940. The building exhibits characteristic elements of moderne architecture, especially in its entryway, light fixtures, and signage. The library facilities were moved in 1965, and it became a community art center in 1983. (Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1990.)