The arch was supported on four columns, and bronze gates were placed behind them. It stood and , while the diameter of each of the columns was . The structure was built from stone from Bramley in West Yorkshire, and cost £35,000. Initially it had very little embellishment and no descriptive title until 1870, when the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) incised "Euston" on the architrave in letters of gold. There were two lodges on each side of the arch, executed like it in strictly classical style. Each of these lodges was separated from its neighbour by an imposing pair of bronze gates. One of the gates between the lodges operated as an entrance for carriages and very heavy goods going by train, while one of the lodges was an office for outgoing parcels.