University Hall united two classroom buildings that predated the Civil War - South College (1848) on the right, and the original Mason Hall (1840) on the left - through the construction in 1871-72 of a centerpiece featuring a grand auditorium. A tower-like dome (surrounded by several shorter peaks) originally sprouted from that centerpiece, but fears about its great weight led the University to replace it with a much more modest dome, shown in this picture, in 1896. In the 1920s the University erected Angell Hall directly in front of University Hall. Old and new co-existed until 1950, as depicted in this helpful map. That year, University Hall was demolished. A new Mason hall (and new Haven Hall) rose in its place.

This particular hall has had many looks; here is a sampling: