It is a 2-1/2 story brick Renaissance Revival structure, designed by McKim, Mead & White and built in 1893.

It is a 2-1/2 story masonry structure, with a main mass covered by a gabled roof, a pair of projecting hip-roofed pavilions, and two-story wings extending to either side.

Stylistically the building has Renaissance Revival features, including rounded arches over the entrances and attic-level windows, stone banding between the floors, and a cornice with dentil moulding between the second floor and attic level.

The present building was funded by John Howard Whittemore, an industrialist whose businesses were partly responsible for the city's growth.

McKim, Mead & White also designed another school for the city, as well as the Congregational church (1902) and the public library (1891).