Built in 1922, it was a two-story, U-shaped building with a central courtyard and 20 residential units ranging in size from 600 to 750 square feet.

[3] Contemporary advertisements reported that the apartments would "help to fill a long felt need in this city in providing homes for those of the most exacting requirements.

The front elevation was symmetrical, with two projecting entrance bays on each of the side wings and one in the center, all topped with triangular pediments.

Each unit had 9-foot (2.7 m) ceilings, hardwood floors, and central steam heating provided by a boiler in the southwest corner of the building.

[3] The Castle Apartments fire began around 8 pm on August 4, 2009, and quickly spread throughout the entire building via the shared attic space.

Thirteen fire trucks[6] and around 50 firefighters responded to the scene, fighting the blaze for nearly a full day before it was extinguished.