The house was designed by architect James T. Kelley and built in 1889 for the noted inventor, electrical engineer, and industrialist Elihu Thomson (1853-1937).

It is a two-story brick Georgian Revival structure with a tiled hip roof that is crowned by a low balustrade with turned balusters and urn-topped posts.

The main facade is asymmetrically fenestrated, but there are symmetrically placed gable dormers in the roof, and the entrance is in a slightly off-center gable-topped projection.

A significant portion of the woodwork in the downstairs has been lost due to the building's conversion for municipal use, but the living room, which now serves as the selectmen's office, and the central hall are largely intact.

Elihu Thomson, their client, is said to have taken an active role in the design of the structure, selecting interior finishes and other details.

Showing an early aptitude for research and experimentation, he taught at a Philadelphia high school, and developed a practical arc lamp system with a colleague.