Langdon Hall has recently come out of retirement to help accommodate this year's large freshman class.
The University had a demand for space and invested in the unoccupied 10,502-square-foot building.
Langdon is now remodeled and started holding classes this spring in its new lecture hall.
Reconstruction on the building started summer 2010 and the first floor was completed this fall.
"The building doesn't look brand new, but it still looks like a modern day classroom," said Courtney Henderson, senior in biomedical sciences.
Remodeling the ground level from an auditorium with theatre seating to a large lecture-based classroom cost $300,000, according to Ron Booth from Auburn's facilities department.
"We knew eventually we needed to do something with it because it was underutilized space," said Dan King, vice president of the Auburn facilities department.
The University greatly needed space for its growing population.
"With these bigger freshman classes, it's going to put more pressure on existing big classrooms like Lowder," King said. "So any place where we can create a big lecture hall, we're better off."
Langdon was suffering from various mechanical problems from the ventilating, heating and cooling systems and also needed a complete interior make-over.
"There was not much you could keep," King said.
The mechanical systems were replaced along with the seating, lighting, ceiling and wood flooring.
Pictures of the original building and other historic portraits hang inside of the remodeled building.
The Office of Information Technology installed up-to-date teaching technology and visual aids.
"It appears they just set up a projector screen," Henderson said.
In months to come, a permanent brick handicap ramp will be built on the north side of the building, but for now a temporary ramp serves in its place.
Langdon Hall was originally built for the Masonic Female Seminary in 1846 and was later moved to Auburn's campus in 1883.
The auditorium was last fully remodeled in 1950, according to the Auburn University's Library of Architecture, Design and Construction website.
Langdon Hall was named after Auburn trustee Charles Carter Langdon and is flush with Auburn history.
The building held various political meetings in the University's early years and also held temporary classes when Samford burned in 1887.
In 1892 Langdon's ground floor held engineering departments, which were some of the first in the South.
Many departments have called Langdon home.
Wood-work, machines, home electronics, the YMCA, Auburn band, campus photographers and the alumni association all have stories inside Langdon's walls; keeping the building in use helps the University keep its history.
"At first, I couldn't believe I had classes in Langdon because it's not in COSAM," Henderson said. "It was just out of the way."
Although restoring the building is in high demand, there are still no definite plans for remodeling the basement along with the rest.
"We're not that far along in the decision process yet," King said.
The future for Langdon is unclear, but still bright.
The building should remain useful for years to come as the University continues to grow.
"There's always a huge demand for more space, so we won't have any trouble finding someone who wants to go in there," King said.
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