The first gymnasium of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania was completed in 1885, and was made possible by a gift from Clemuel Ricketts Woodin.  The building was designed by Charles L. Carson and constructed at a cost of $7,513.28.  The gymnasium was later equipped through a donation by William Clare Allison, and officially dedicated on January 6, 1888.  A central heating plant was built into the basement of the gymnasium in 1889, so that by 1890 student dormitories and college classrooms no longer required individual stoves for heating.  This addition brought to campus a familiar landmark - a tall smokestack

In 1931, after the Alumni Gymnasium was completed, the so-called "Old Gymnasium" was converted into a social and recreational hall.  It served as the dining hall for the cadets of the Air Crew Training Program during the Second World War. In 1946, this structure became the home of the College Commons.  On May 17, 1953, the building’s western wall collapsed during a storm, and the building was razed shortly thereafter.  The heating plant was retained, however, and an addition was added in 1955 for $70,000.  The old heating plant and its boilers were finally replaced in 1966.