Designed by an unknown architect, this structure featured a pair of turrets on either side of the facade; a porch running across the front; a small second-floor balcony; and a widow's walk. It was entirely covered in shingles, the predominant material in domestic architecture of the period. Especially when compared to the Richardsonian-style design that Cottage had rejected, this building lacks exterior ornamentation although decorative swags appear over the windows and door.

By 1903, Cottage decided that it needed a new clubhouse, "the wear and tear of a decade" having rendered its old building "completely inadequate." An additional motivation, doubtless, was Ivy Club's new Gothic clubhouse next door, which had been completed in 1899 and was the object of great admiration and envy. To make way for its new building, Cottage accordingly sold its shingle clubhouse to Tower Club, which moved the building to 89 Prospect, where it saw years more of service for several different clubs.