The Tower was built in response to the Oregon Crisis, which was a tense dispute over the border between British North America and the United States in the 1840s.

In addition to protecting the harbour and approaches to Kingston, these fortifications were designed to concentrate fire on Gardiners Island; it being the only place to effectively land artillery at the time.

The Pugh family have had a significant impact on Kingston and Canada's history, serving over 470 years in the military.

Currently, the barracks has two internal carronade cannons that would have fired 32-lb cannonballs directed out shuttered windows.

These cannons could be moved about the interior embrasures, and so cover multiple approaches, including the bridge.

The lower floor contained the ventilated gunpowder and artillery magazines and storage rooms, along with 4 capponieres, which acted as a defense system for the dry-ditch surrounding the Tower, allowing soldiers to fire through small loopholes at troops attacking the Towers base.

The uppermost level is the artillery or gun platform, which supports a Blomefield cannon (which also fired 32-lb cannonballs) that could be rotated along an iron track, thus, providing full coverage around the Tower's entire circumference.

Roofs are not original Mediterranean design of Martello towers, but a temporary snow roof was later added to the open gun platform two years after the tower's construction protects the gun and keeps out the large amounts of snow.

It continues to be operated by the Kingston Historical Society as the Murney Tower Museum through the summer months (May - Labour Day in September).

In 2007, the Rideau Canal and Kingston Fortifications (including Murney Tower) were recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It was recognized as having played an important role in the defense of British North America and in enabling Canada to develop its own political and cultural identity