The building, designed by noted 18th-century American architect Peter Harrison and built in the 1760s, is a National Historic Landmark.

The upper level bays are separated by large pilasters with Ionic capitals, with a dentillated cornice below the roof.

[3] The Brick Market was designed by Peter Harrison, a major architect working in the British colonies during the 18th century.

As a traditional British style market house (like Boston's Faneuil Hall), the building's first level was an open-air arcade that served as a marketplace for various goods.

Exhibits include the printing press of James Franklin, the figurehead from the yacht Aloha, and a sword given as a gift by the Marquis de Lafayette to Daniel Lyman.