West Hall was built to serve as a dormitory for students of the college and the divinity school. Begun in 1871, it was completed in 1872, at a cost of $72,497.26, and was designed by Levi Newcomb & Son. Initially, the western half of the building was assigned to the divinity school, with a small chapel and classrooms on the first floor and dormitory rooms on the upper floors. Upon the completion of Paige and Miner Halls in 1891 and 1892, the divinity school moved out of West, at which point it was used entirely for student accommodations.
Today, West Hall continues to be used as a dormitory for students. It is now a coeducational facility. While not the first building used as a dormitory on campus, it is now the dormitory that has been in use the longest on the Medford campus. Mail Services for the Medford campus is housed in the basement of the building.