Housing the Richmond Light Infantry Blues, the castle-like structure originally served multiple purposes, with a food market on the ground floor and a drill hall for the National Guard of the United States on the top floor.

The Richmond Spiders played their home basketball games at the site for a period of time.

[3] In 1985, the ground floor was converted to retail and restaurant space, part of the 6th Street Marketplace.

The composite steel-reinforced structure is clad with brick and heavily rusticated stone masonry.

A 1968 reorganization of the National Guard disestablished the Blues and the armory fell into disuse.