The McAdam Canadian Pacific Railway Station is notable for its history and its elaborate Chateau architecture. During the early 20th century, numerous stations were erected across Canada to capitalize on the success of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The McAdam Station is now one of the few still standing and provides a great deal of insight into this era of Canadian history. 

The building's design was developed by famed architect Edward Maxwell in 1899 and was constructed over the course of the following two years by contractor Joseph McVay. The building cost $30,000, but it quickly paid off as McAdam became one of the busiest New Brunswick stations. In particular, trains that were travelling between Montreal and the Maritimes and from St. Stephen to Edmundston often frequented the station. During the railway's heyday, upwards of 16 trains would stop at the station daily.

To both cope with and capitalize on the high number of daily visitors, the McAdam Station offered facilities for dining and hospitality. The second floor of the station housed a five-star hotel, while the lunch counter on the ground floor could serve 1200 meals on the station's busiest days. Of particular note were the station's pies, which were renown for their quality.

Various additions were later made to improve the station's efficiency. A man-made pool was dug next to the station early on to provide the station and visitors with water. Furthermore, in 1910, a pair of wings were added to the building to increase the capacity of dining, hotel, and baggage-holding facilities, and in 1931, a small booster station was constructed nearby to house equipment for strengthening telegraph and commercial wireless signals.

Lastly, the station is important for its architecture. Most stations along the C.P.R. were built in the Chateau style, and this one is no exception. In fact, the McAdam Station provides a particularly grandiose example of Chateau-style architecture. The three-story-tall structure dominates the landscape. The exterior is made of locally quarried stone and is topped with a steep, hipped roof.