Like many colleges, Macalester started out with just one building: Old Main.¹ Of course, the building wasn’t called Old Main when it was built— it used to simply be the only building on campus. Buildings called “Old Main” can be found across college campuses nationwide, where one building initially served as the entirety of a school, often housing the president, professors, and students while also providing room for dining, classes, and worship.² Nassau Hall at Princeton University, built in 1756, became a particularly popular model to follow, and many original college buildings boasted 3 to 4 floors, long rectangular shapes, and central towers.³ Eventually, these colleges would expand to include more buildings, like new dormitories, chapels, and libraries, and the original building would be stuck with the “Old Main” moniker.