The Mess Hall, built in 1873 at a cost of approximately $6,000, was located where the Walters Life Sciences Building now stands. The three-story building had quarters for the steward’s family, a large dining hall on the main floor, and private rooms for students and faculty on the third floor. In 1898 the second and third floors of the Mess Hall were remodeled into dormitory rooms and the building was renamed Barbara Blount Hall. Nine women were actually in residence in 1899, and the catalog suggested that they would be able to secure their board for about $2 per week. After the new Barbara Blount Hall was completed in 1901, the Mess Hall was used as a fraternity house. The building was razed in 1908 to make room for University Field, subsequently named Wait Field.