South Hall
historic place
South Hall, located in Berkeley, California's Alameda County, was completed in 1873. Designed by Scottish architect David Farquharson, it is the oldest building on the University of California, Berkeley campus. South Hall is the only surviving structure from the university's original nucleus. It was built in the Second Empire architectural style. Initially, South Hall housed the College of Agriculture and laboratories for the physical and natural sciences. In 1879, it hosted the first physics lab in America. Over time, it also served as home to the Business School, the Department of Economics, Political Science and Sociology, and the Library School. Today, South Hall houses the UC Berkeley School of Information. South Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Its structural system, using walls of brick cells, reflects an early approach to fireproofing and potentially earthquake-resistant design. This site is historically significant as the oldest building on the Berkeley campus and a rare example of its architectural style on the West Coast.