Located prominently on Ridge Street atop Seminary Hill, this 1872 Second Empire building has been a major visual and architectural landmark in the city since its construction.

The site was chosen because of its proximity to railroad service, and to the state's center of government; it had previously housed a military hospital during the American Civil War.

[2] The university used the campus to establish a fine arts program, which was later sold to the Union Institute in 2001.

College Hall is a cruciform masonry building, built out of load-bearing brick walls set on a foundation of rubblestone faced in cut granite.

The entrance is in the center bay, which projects slightly further, and is topped by a tower rising five stories, also with a mansard roof.