Built by Othniel Williams (1787-1832), a Yale alumnus, teacher and lawyer. He was a trustee of Hamilton College and served as its treasurer from 1828 to 1832. His son, Othniel Samuel Williams, attended Hamilton College, practiced law and became a judge. He also served as the first Town Supervisor of Kirkland and, like his father, was both a trustee and treasurer of Hamilton College. The building remained in the Williams family until 1938. In 1941 the property purchased by Adain Newell and operated as the Hotel Ades until 1945. in 1946 it became the Alexander Hamilton Inn, a high-end dining spot. It continued to be operated as a restaurant under various owners and levels of success until 2005. In 2007, Hamilton College Alumni purchased the property and reestablished it as The Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization, a conservative right-wing think tank. It is unaffiliated with Hamilton College.