The building was designated a New York City landmark in 1977,[2] and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

It was meant to take over the duties of the Brooklyn City Guard, which at the time was participating in the American Civil War.

The still-extant building, which now includes apartments,[7] contained windows with pointed arches and a tall mansard roof.

Fowler, a 23rd Regiment member, designed the building under the supervision of state architect Isaac Perry.

In June 1889, Partridge requested a $350,000 appropriation from the New York State Commission for the construction of the new armory.

[17] On November 15, the regiment started a two-week fundraiser to collect money for furnishings,[18] and raised almost $70,000 for said purpose.

[19] The total cost of the armory was $550,000, almost twice the original budget, though this figure also included the funds spent on furnishings.

[21] In 1923, the building was rented by William Randolph Hearst for use as studio space for his Cosmopolitan Productions after the company's own facilities were destroyed by a fire on February 19, 1923.

[40] Several developers submitted suggestions for alternate uses of the drill hall, including as a climbing facility, concert auditorium, or ice-skating rink.

[33] The 23rd Regiment Armory consists of a three-story administration building, facing Bedford Avenue to the east, with an attached drill shed to the west.

The armory takes up the entire 200-foot (61 m) width of the block between Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Street, the length of the western facade.

The administration building's Bedford Avenue facade consists of a central entrance bay with gables, and a two-story-tall round-arched sally port with a steel portcullis that drops from the top of the arch.

[47] The wall on the right-hand (northern) side of the entrance includes a bronze plaque commemorating those who fought in World War I, which was dedicated in 1922.

The center three bays are five stories tall, with a gabled roof on top, and include arched windows on the fourth and fifth floors.

The facade of the drill hall contains ten windowless bays, separated by protruding brick pilasters.

The drill hall facade along Atlantic Avenue is similar to that on the Pacific Street side, but contains enclosed emergency stairs.

[46] One of the largest interior features in the administration building is the Council Room, which contains a fireplace with a mantel that are both 24 feet (7.3 m) high.

[4][20] The July 18, 1897, edition of the Tribune described the room: "Certainly nothing in any other American armory compares and visitors from abroad say they have never seen anything like it.