East Hall was built in 1860 to address the continuing need for dormitory space on the Medford campus. It could accommodate fifty students in rooms on the three main floors. A dining hall was installed on the basement level, which because of the grade of the hill, had windows on three sides. In the 1960s it was converted into classroom and office space.
Today, East Hall is used for academic purposes. It houses the Department of English and the Department of History, with offices for faculty and several small seminar rooms. A lounge on the first floor provides space for meetings, lectures and other gatherings sponsored by those departments.