The original building was designed by the firm of Arthur G. Wilson and David E. Herrald.<ref name="Herzog" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Wilson, Arthur Gordon |url=http://dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/node/394 |url-status=live |access-date=May 21, 2025 |website=Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, 1800 - 1950}}</ref> Although a local duo, their design borrowed heavily from their British roots. It is a simplified English Renaissance Revival Style, common for [[Commonwealth of Nations|commonwealth]] buildings of the [[Edwardian age]]. Although grand in appearance, with ionic columns and limestone cornices on the exterior and intricate carved wood on the interior, the design is far more simplified and streamlined than earlier buildings of the [[Victoria era]]. This is reflected in other nearby buildings of the same age, such as [[Old Scona Academic High School]].
