Old Main was born of necessity.  Eleven years after the opening of Sam Houston Normal Institute classroom space was at a premium and had thus forced the nearby Austin College Building – which housed everything the school had – to add a third floor.  Through the efforts of Principal Joseph Baldwin, funds were secured for construction of a second building to be located north of the Austin College Building.  However, because a bed of quicksand was discovered at the planned site, the building's foundation was moved ten inches. The cornerstone was laid September 23, 1889.

Designed by architect Alfred Mueller and built at a cost of $40,000, the edifice measured 157 feet long by 92 feet wide, with two rooms 27x40 feet and three rooms 28x35 feet.  The glass doors and windows were "to be double strength American glass. All other glass was to be genuine cathedral glass - no imitation."  Because no provisions were made for heating of the building, a last minute hot water system was added to complete the project.  The gothic brick and tin structure was dedicated September 22, 1890 at the opening of the twelfth session of SHNI. 

The ground floor contained classrooms, offices, and the first library, a single room named the Peabody Memorial Library; it remained in use until a separate and similarly named structure was built in 1901.

Upstairs was the Sam Houston Memorial Hall (96 x 71 ft.), an auditorium with a vaulted ceiling and 1500 church-style benches (later replaced by individual seats).  Within this recital area was a large pipe organ on the east wall, flanked by large United States and Texas flags.  A replica of bass relief found on the Parthenon was first displayed on the east wall behind the organ, but later moved to west wall behind the audience. Two replicas, one of the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the other of the goddess Athena, were also prominently exhibited within the hall.  The Victory Alcove was small niche on the north side above the entrance doors that contained the Sam Houston Memorial Window, in memory of Houston and other leaders of Texas Independence, as well as other prominent and historically significant stained glass windows.

Old Main was old by the 1940s - wear and tear from the constant barrage of students over the years didn't help; nor did the wiring of the building, as there are memories of lights occasionally catching fire during performances in the recital hall.  Renovations were requested but usually denied.  As the picturesque building reached its 90th year it became eligible for a National Register listing and being declared a Texas Archeological Landmark. This was not to be.

Old Main succumbed to fire on the morning of February 12, 1982.   Within hours, the blaze had spread from the upper stories to the rest of the building and jumped to the roof of the Austin College Building.  When it was apparent the Main Building was a loss, attention turned to salvaging the furniture of the Austin Building, where students formed bucket brigade lines to save its antiques and furniture.

While in ruins, a portion of the northeast corner of Old Main stood the following morning, prompting some to assert it should remain and form the basis of a memorial. The idea was nixed due to concerns of structural integrity. Rebuilding costs were estimated at over $15 million and while the legislature refused funding, President Bowers insisted a memorial built at the site.

State Senator Ken Caperton (D-Bryan) introduced a bill that would provide $925,000 for a Main Building memorial.  The bill, notes the 1983 Alcalde, included provisions for $2.5 Million to repair damages to Austin Hall and $2.9 Million to replace classrooms and offices lost in the fire.

A time capsule was buried at the center of the refurbished memorial park during the rededication ceremony in 1987.  To create the park, the eastern half of the grounds were excavated creating the sunken landscaped area known as the Pit.  Over the last twenty-five years, the picturesque spot has been a place where students can study and classes can congregate, as well as the occasional setting for ceremonies and live bands.  However, the land on the western side of the building was never cleared and it’s anyone’s guess as to what is still buried there – Bricks?  Band equipment?  A clue to what started the fire?

The time capsule will be opened in 2087.

In 2002, President Gaertner noted that a proposal for rebuilding the Main Building was under "serious consideration." Speaking four years later, Gaertner explained such an endeavor would probably not be undertaken: besides comparisons to the former building, the cost of rebuilding a near-architectural replica - complete with the stained glass - would be too much.

The architectural sister of Huntsville’s Old Main still stands 170 miles southwest on the Texas State University campus in San Marcos, Texas.  Designed by Edward Northcraft, a contemporary of Muller, the prominent Gothic landmark dominates the city skyline.  Its construction was completed in 1903.