Construction was authorized by Governor John Peter Altgeld in 1895 as part of a program of expansion of state funding for education.

The architect was C. W. Rapp of Chicago, a Carbondale native, and the contractors were M. T. Lewman & Company of Louisville, Kentucky.

[1] As originally designed, the building housed the university library and laboratories for the departments of physics, chemistry and biological science, as well as a gymnasium.

From 2002 to 2004 the building underwent a major restoration and renovation project, which included a large addition to the west side.

Altgeld authorized these buildings as part of increased state investment in education, but also wielded influence over their design.