[2] The library stands in the village center of Alstead, on about 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) on the west side of Main Street just south of the Cold River.

It is a small but imposing masonry structure, built out of granite with Classical Revival details.

[4] The interior follows a typical plan for early 20th-century libraries, with an entry vestibule in the front pavilion, a central librarian's desk, and reading rooms to either side.

The building's basement originally housed a small auditorium, which has been re-adapted for use as a children's collection and reading room.

[4] The library building was the gift of John Graves Shedd, chief executive of Marshall Field & Company and an Alstead native, and his wife Mary Roenna (Porter) Shedd, a native of Langdon, and was given in memory of their parents.