Freelance artist Lisa Spangler spent three years painting a mural for the library of Brownstown Elementary School — a task she compared to building Noah's Ark.

Now that the 118-foot mural, which is a timeline of history from 3000 B.C. to 2001, is finished, Spangler is thrilled.

"Today I feel like I've had my 15 minutes of fame," Spangler said Friday at the school, where she was taking questions from students who walked through the library to view the mural.

Spangler, 42, of Lancaster, was asked to create the mural about five years ago by the school's former librarian Ginny Gibble, who has since retired.

Spangler said Gibble, a history buff, wanted to brighten up the library.

"She had a great idea," Spangler said. "It took us a while to get started, but we finally got here."

Throughout the day, students carefully studied the mural, which is called a "Multi-Cultural Timeline of World History."

The mural spans the perimeter of the library and shows famous historical figures such as Ferdinand Magellan, Ghandi, Napoleon Bonaparte, Mao Zedong, Nelson Mandela and former President Richard M. Nixon.

Fifth-grader Payton Warren said the mural is beautiful.

"It inspires me to become an artist," Payton said.

Jeremy Fleming, a sixth-grader, said the mural made him curious about what life was like a long time ago.

"I especially liked looking at the Greeks because they lived a different life from us and survived off of their instinct," Jeremy said. "They believed in a lot of gods."

The mural was paid for through a $750 grant from the Conestoga Valley Education Foundation.

There are 85 pictures of famous world leaders and thinkers and scenes that mark significant political events such as womens' suffrage.

Spangler, who has a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Shippensburg University, said the mural wasn't easy to work on.

"I had a toddler, two other small children, and I was painting in an unfinished basement," Spangler said. "I thought, 'Can I really do this?' "

The pictures were painted on about 20 4-by-8 panels. The mural was mounted in segments by Earl Horst, a member of the school's maintenance staff.

Kipp Halpin, a Brownstown Elementary School sixth-grade teacher, and Mike Rohm, a former fifth-grade teacher, devised the list of figures and historical moments that were to be depicted in the mural.

As students viewed the mural, they asked Spangler why she chose certain colors and placement of figures and whether she had any particular favorite painting.

Spangler, whose children go to Conestoga Valley schools, said she was impressed with the students level of interest in the mural.

"I am so proud … this is why I did it. It's all about them," Spangler said.

Connor High, a sixth-grader, said the mural has added something special to the library.

"It's amazing," Connor said. "When I was in kindergarten, these walls were blank. Now I look up and see pictures."

E-mail: mpennino@lnpnews.com