The building is a late-Georgian end of terrace building. The foundation stone for the terrace was laid in 1827. The building today retains its scale and proportions with a double height shop front and glazing above the shop’s main fascia. This feature is a distinctive character along Washington Street.

The Singer building is significant as part of the terrace and for its streetscape value. Two of the most influential architects in Cork in the early 19^th century, the Deane brothers and the Pain brothers, were instrumental in the laying out of Washington Street. The street epitomises a sense of symmetry and proportion.

The Singer shop is a landmark building in Cork and has been on site since the 1870s. The ground floor shop was remodelled in the 1930s and 1940s.

The floors above the shop retain a number of 19^th century finishes and detailing, including an open well stairs; six-panel doors; fluted window and door architraves; decorative cornices and ceiling roses, and fireplaces. Externally, the Georgian multi-pane sashes and the Victorian shingle pane sashes reflect the changing fashions of the 19^th century.