The deep maroon color and crenellated parapet of the former Franklin Armory give it a fortresslike appearance. The brick building is trimmed with Cleveland stone. A two-story administration extension at the western end is linked to the arena by a raised entrance flanked by castellated bay windows. The arena's open space is surrounded by a balcony. The building overlooks French Creek and is adjacent to the site of Fort Franklin (1787–1796), and a nearby historical marker remembers John Chapman, “Johnny Appleseed,” a pioneer nurseryman and itinerant preacher who cultivated apples from Pennsylvania to Indiana and lived in the French Creek valley until 1804. Since 1989, the armory has housed an antiques mall.