Built in 1806 to house the Gorham Academy, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973[1] for its fine Federal period architecture and its importance in local education.

[2] The Academy Building is set on the east side of the USM campus, between University Way and School Street (Maine State Route 114), a short way northwest of the Gorham town center.

The campus is set on a hill, and the building's site gives it a commanding view down toward School Street and the town.

It is a two-story wood-frame structure, about 40 by 50 feet (12 m × 15 m), and is topped by a gable-on-hip roof with a square wooden cupola at it center.

The main facade faces northeast, and has a detailed Classical style, with a projecting portico supported by four Doric columns and topped by a balustrade.