Upon first sight, the Gann Museum doesn’t look much different than others except that it has two front doors, each of which is topped by a gable, making it architecturally pleasing to the eye. That in itself doesn’t make it unusual; it’s what the building is constructed of that makes it unique. The museum is the only known structure in the world made completely of bauxite.
Simply defined, bauxite is another name for aluminum ore and it is most commonly formed in deeply weathered rocks. The ore was named after the French village of Les Baux de Provence where it was discovered in 1821 by the geologist Pierre Berthier. The only place in the United States where it has been feasible to commercially mine the aluminum is Saline County.
The industry took hold in this area in 1899 with top output coming during World War II, when demand increased because German subs were sinking foreign ore ships. The mining thrived for many, many years before the high grade, low silica bauxite ore gave out.
Originally the office of Dr. Dewell Gann Sr., the structure was built in 1893 by patients who couldn’t afford to pay the doctor for his services. At the time, they didn’t know what the ore was – they thought it was some sort of clay plentiful in the area. All the blocks were cut with handsaws and had to air dry for six weeks before being used. The bricks are a colorful mix of tans, browns, rusts, yellows and oranges with a touch of pinkish-red.
After the building was completed, it was determined by engineers that bauxite wasn’t a stable enough material to be used for construction. According to Executive Director Bernard Barber of the Gann Museum of Saline County, which is now housed in the building, in spite of the dire warnings, the structure has held up amazingly well and is quite strong.
To learn more about this fascinating piece of construction history, visit the Gann Museum of Saline County at 218 Market St. in Benton. The museum is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week, and by appointment. Call 501.778.5513 for more information.