The Hall was designed by Solomon Willard and Thomas Sumner, and dedicated on August 29, 1826, with William Ellery Channing giving the dedicatory speech, "The Christian Ministry."

A decade later, on July 15, 1838, Ralph Waldo Emerson delivered his famous Divinity School Address,[2] "Acquaint Thyself at First Hand with Deity," in the Hall.

It has a hip roof that is only broken by a gable at the center of the long side, part of a projecting central section three bays wide.

The build has a pair of entrances on either side of this central section, which are framed by Greek Revival Doric porticos.

Notable residents have included Ralph Waldo Emerson, Theodore Parker, and philosopher George Santayana.