The University of North Alabama was originally called LaGrange College but moved to its present site in 1855 after the LaGrange facility was burned during the Civil War. The university became known at that time as Wesleyan University.
Wesleyan Hall was the only campus building when it was completed in 1856 and housed classrooms as well as the administration offices.
The building, which is still considered the heart of the UNA campus, stands three stories and is a Gothic Revival design and the work of Adolphus Heiman of Nashville. Estimated cost for the original building is $20,000, a figure reduced significantly by the use of slaves as brickmasons.
The university underwent three name changes, including to its current name - University of North Alabama. Today, Wesleyan Hall is an administrative building for the College of Arts and Sciences, with offices and classrooms for the geography, psychology, foreign languages, history and political science departments.
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