After several failed ventures, Robert A. Long, and his business partner Victor Bell, began a nationally successful lumber company. The wealth Long accrued with the success of this business allowed him to build his luxurious family home Corinthian Hall in 1910. Within his home, Robert had many retreats for himself, including his library. Designed in the Elizabethan style, and featuring a breathtaking mantel, the windows in the room provided an excellent view of North Terrace Park, designed by George Kessler. The quarter-sawn oak flooring and paneling has been preserved within the room. The mantel was removed from the room after the death of Mr. Long; but, was returned and reintegrated into the library in the 1970s.

Robert A. Long was born in 1850 in Shelbyville, Kentucky. His business ventures brought him to Columbus, Kansas, where he experienced difficulties at first. However, after selling lumber from a failed hay business, he came upon a business that would prove to be quite lucrative. The Long-Bell Lumber Company, incorporated in 1884, became Robert Long's, and his partner Victor Bell's, success. Although Robert was established in Columbus, Kansas, he would move his family (and the company's headquarters) to Kansas City in 1891. Soon, Robert struck a friendship with the architect Henry Hoit, which led to many impressive building projects in the early decades of the 20th century.

Their first project was the R.A. Long Building, completed in 1907 at 928 Grand Street in Kansas City. The building featured an all-steel frame, the first in the city, and is 16 stories tall. This building served as the headquarters for the Long-Bell Lumber Company. Long-Bell benefitted from Kansas City's position as the country's center for wholesale lumber, and by 1910, the company was the most influential lumber company in the nation. The company's success contributed to Long's wealth, ultimately leading to the 1909-1910 construction of his home, Corinthian Hall, again with architect Henry Hoit. Long also contracted the creation of Longview Farm, located in Lee's Summit, Missouri, completed in 1913. Finally, the creation of the town of Longview, Washington in 1923 demonstrated the reach of the Long Bell Lumber Company in the early 20th century.

While building projects were one way that Robert spent his wealth, he was also a top philanthropist within the community. He donated to the Independence Boulevard Christian Church, which also allowed him to contribute to hospital funding, colleges, and mission schools in Asia. His largest contribution was to the Liberty Memorial, which is now part of the National World War I Museum and Memorial. Originally opened in 1926, the Liberty Memorial was a feat of community planning and donations. The Liberty Memorial Association, of which Robert Long was the president, boasted 40-members that raised over $2.5 million dollars for the monument. As a memorial for the Kansas City servicemen who lost their lives during World War I, the project was important to Mr. Long and the community as a whole.

Outside of philanthropic ventures and his business, Mr. Long enjoyed time at his home. An avid reader, Robert's favorite room in the home was the library, which featured oak flooring and paneling and a magnificent fireplace and mantel. Robert spent every morning in the library and had an expansive collection of books, all of which were branded with a personalized bookplate. As of 2022, approximately 200 of those books have been donated to the museum by one of great-grandchildren of Mr. Long. Mr. Long also enjoyed the view of North Terrace Park, designed by landscape architect George Kessler, outside of the library windows. The stretch of land gave the home a country-feeling while having the perks of a city home.

The main attraction in the library is the detailed fireplace and mantel. The original candelabras and clock displayed on the mantel were purchased by Long in Paris. After the death of Mr. Long, the mantel was moved from the library at Corinthian Hall and installed at Longview Farm, in Lee's Summit. Robert's daughter, Loula, and her husband, Robert Pryor Combs, lived at Longview Farm at the time. It would stay at the farm until the 1970s, when Loula's final will offered it to be reinstalled at Corinthian Hall.

Kansas City Museum, 3218 Gladstone Blvd., Kansas City, MO, 64123 (accessed March 8, 2022). Wall Plaques: Wall Text. A Library and Gentleman's Retreat, Kansas City Museum, Kansas City, Missouri.

Morrison, Denise, and Anna Marie Tutera. The Journey to Now, Part I, Kansas City Museum. March/April 2020. Accessed April 18th 2022. http://kansascitymuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/March-April-2020-KC-Studio-Advertorial-FINAL-PRINTED.pdf.