Constructed in 1895 to replace a building that had been destroyed by fire, the academy operated as a school from 1895 until 2012, when the Town of Lunenburg took over the property.

It was designated a National Historic Site in 1983 for its distinctive Second Empire architectural features and its illustration of Nova Scotia's education system in the 19th century.

[6] The three-storey wooden building is located on a 3.7 acre (1.5 ha) lot atop Gallows Hill at 101 Kaulback Street, adjacent to the Old Town Lunenburg Historic District.

The exterior was originally yellow and brown, but was painted white, red, and black after World War II.

[3] Mott's interior plans included a heating system in the basement consisting of six air furnaces, with the upper levels housing classrooms of approximately equal size, arranged in an asymmetrical pattern to optimize natural lighting.

[2]: 14–5  Bathrooms and kitchens have been installed on each floor, and fire doors and glass panelling have been added to the stairwells,[2]: 21  but the wooden stairs and banisters have been preserved.