The building consists of three main parts: a vast vaulted drill hall, a surrounding U-shaped head house, and an extending wing on the west.

The drill hall is 30,560 square feet (2,839 m2) of unobstructed space and features a web of steel trusses spanning the ceiling.

[3] It played a role during the New Haven Black Panther trials in 1970 as the staging ground for the National Guard response to protests.

[4] Annual "Black Expos" were held at the armory in the 1970s to promote and discuss economic, political, and social concerns important to the African-American community.

[3] Ownership was transferred to the City of New Haven in 2009 when both guard units moved to other facilities and the armory was deemed surplus.