Built in 1897, Brigham Hall dormitory was the first building to be completed after the big fire in 1896. Having dormitories as residences for students was a departure from Mary Lyon's original goal of having students reside in the same building as the faculty, classrooms, and other college facilities. It was ironic that the loss of the original Seminary Building in 1896 allowed for the further development of the cottage system on campus. Brigham Hall was named for Mary Brigham, class of 1849 and a former teacher at the seminary. Brigham was a proponent of the cottage system for school architecture and raised $3,000 toward that purpose. She was chosen to be President of the college in 1889 but was killed in a train accident before she could take office.
Brigham Hall was constructed with funds raised by the alumnae of New York and Brooklyn and was the home of the College presidents from 1897 to 1909.