Originally named Cauthorn Hall and was later named Fairbanks Hall. It was constructed in 1892 as a men's dormitory. Women lived in the dormitory from 1912 until the early 1930s, when it was converted into a classroom building. The building is now home to the Art Department.
The shop was located in the 1889 section of the original Mechanical Hall. This, along with other shops, served as the labs for students studying mechanics and mechanical engineering.