The Clarkston Public Library is housed in a brick-and-stucco Carnegie library built in 1913 — one of more than 1,600 such libraries funded across the United States by Andrew Carnegie's grants between 1883 and 1929. It is small (about 4,000 square feet) and follows the standard Carnegie plan: a symmetrical front with a flight of steps up to a raised entrance, signifying the elevation of the reader; one open reading room inside.
The library was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and is still in use as a public library, one of the smaller of the Pacific Northwest Carnegies remaining in their original function. A short stop on the way to or from the riverfront.