The Art Deco style Mills & Petrie Memorial Library and Gymnasium was constructed in 1936 following the designs of architect Joseph William Royer. The community building was constructed with donations from early Ashton residents and Civil War veterans Nathan A. Petrie and Samuel F. Mills. Both had arrived in the area now known as Ashton in the 1860s. In 1869, they formed The Ashton Bank, which significantly contributed to their success and wealth. Together, the men embarked on several philanthropic projects. In 1924, they donated a Mills & Petrie Library to the community of Parish, New York, Petrie's hometown, as a tribute to the veterans of World War I and the ladies of the American Red Cross. Next, they announced the donation of the Ashton Mills & Petrie Library and gymnasium. At that time, it was said, "Knowing the beauty and ideal location of the Ashton site, such a memorial building here will be the admiration of all our citizens. It will add greatly to the credit of Ashton and will be viewed by the hundreds of thousands of people who pass through Ashton annually over the Lincoln Highway." However, the next year Nathan Petrie passed away. This event, combined with the impending Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the resulting Great Depression, meant that the library was not constructed until 1936. Mills and Petrie's vision for the library was finally realized with funds from the Public Works Administration (PWA), a component of President Roosevelt's New Deal program.