Gann Museum - Benton, Arkansas

 Gann Museum - Benton, Arkansas

Built in 1893 this museum was the office of Dr. Dewell Gann by patients who could not afford to pay him for their care.  In order to pay they dug bauxite from a nearby farm, hand-sawed it into blocks, allowed it to harden and then built the Doctor a medical office. It is the only building in the world to have ever been constructed out of pink alumina block.  This area was once one of the world’s largest aluminum mining operations. The ore of aluminum is called bauxite and it is pink with little round metallic beads and streaks of white running through it. 

The patients worked out their debt at a rate of ten cents an hour.  The Doctor also took such things as cows, chickens and wild honey as payment as did many of the other doctors of the day.

Dr. Gann donated the building to the city of Benton and requested that it be used as a library.  Now the building is a museum which houses a collection of antiques and memorabilia from the area.  It contains furniture and artifacts reflecting local pioneer, Native American and church history.

Bauxite was discovered near where the medical building was built just 6 years before the building was constructed.  It was six years after construction that bauxite would be commercially mined.  Bauxite ore was soft when it was mined and then sawed into blocks and left in the open air to dry for approximately 8 weeks which made it hard enough to use.

When completed the Gann Medical Building consisted of an examination room, separate waiting rooms for men and women, each having its own entrance to keep them separated.  Drs. Gann Sr. and Jr. used the building from 1893 until 1946.  Dr. Ganns' residence is just beside the Gann museum, it is a cookiecutter house with its elaborate carved wooden turrets and embellishments.

In 1980 the medical building was turned from the library to the museum.

Hours: 10 am to 4 pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Location: 218 South Market Street, Benton, Arkansas USA 72015