The Williams house is a 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame structure, five bays wide and two deep, with a side-gable roof, twin interior chimneys, and clapboard siding.

Its main entrance is centered on the front façade with a Greek Revival surround, with sidelight windows and pilasters flanking the door, topped by a cornice with a carved elliptical arch.

William was born in 1731 and was trained at Harvard College, and he saw provincial militia duty in the French and Indian War in 1755.

He was a steadfast supporter of independence during the American Revolution, working closely with his father-in-law, Lebanon native and Governor of Connecticut Jonathan Trumbull.

He was elected to the Second Continental Congress, where he signed the United States Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.