It is named for Henry Hardin Cherry, who founded the Bowling Green Normal School, the forerunner of the modern university.

Located at the intersection of College and 15th Streets,[4] the building contained space for fifty classrooms, sixteen laboratories and sixty offices.

Over time, the post office and bookstore moved to different buildings on campus, while the construction of the Kelly Thompson Complex for Science facilitated the removal of the laboratory space from Cherry Hall.

Cherry Hall currently serves as the locations of the Departments of English, history, religion, philosophy and University Experience.

The 25 chimes in the belltower cupola[8] play once every fifteen minutes, to signal the time in order to aid students in keeping up with classtimes.