Designed by Proudfoot Bird Rawson and constructed by Neumann Bros., the building, then known as the Flynn Building, was built by early pioneer and businessman Martin Flynn, who also built the Flynn Mansion at what is now Living History Farms. Originally constructed in 1885, three additional floors were added in 1906. The building is best known for its association with civil rights activist Edna M. Griffin. In 1948, she and her fellow civil rights activists led sit-ins and picketed Katz Drug Store, then located in the building, after she was denied service because she was black. She sued Katz’s owner and won the case in the Iowa Supreme Court. In 1998, the building was named in her honor. The Edna M. Griffin Bldg is on the National Register of Historic Places and is currently being renovated by RDG Planning & Design and Neumann Bros.