It was built in 1888 by American Civil War veterans "as a memorial to their deceased comrades and as a reunion hall for themselves.

"[2] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and designated a Greater Portland Landmark in 1984.

The center is a two-story wood frame structure, 2-1/2 stories in height, with a dormered gable roof and a three-story circular observation tower at one corner.

The structure is built directly on a ledge that slopes down to the shore, where there is a rocky beach.

It was built on donated land by a fraternal association of veterans of the 5th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which sought to memorialize its fallen comrades and to provide a space for regular reunions.