It was built in 1889-91 and was designed by Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge – the successor firm to H. H. Richardson – in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, which is featured in several other buildings in New London.

The WMI building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 for its architecture, and since 1972 has housed the State of Connecticut Superior Court for Geographical Area 10.

[5] Buell tried to expand the Memorial Institute to become a women's college, but the plan fell through due to lack of interest.

[5] When Wesleyan College in Middletown decided to stop admitting women to the university, Buell combined efforts with Elizabeth Wright.

On February 18, 1954, the Williams Memorial Institute started discussions to relocate the school near the Connecticut College campus on Mohegan Avenue.

[7] The current Williams School building is located in the south portion of the Connecticut College near Palmer Auditorium.