As a simple interpretation of the Federal style, Waddel Hall is a two-story, brick building with a front-gabled roof and a recessed doorway behind an arched opening.
 

Built in 1821, the building was once known as Philosophical Hall, which served as a classroom and the first scientific laboratory and housed library books. Additionally, Waddel Hall was used as a chapel and meeting facility for the trustees. In the 1890s, the building became the gymnasium, and from 1903 to 1908, the College of Agriculture occupied the building, then called Agricultural Hall. Subsequently, the building was referred to as the Reed House during the 36-year residency of Thomas Reed, register and treasurer of the University. In 1953, renovation efforts allowed the Campus Grill to move from New College into the building. Used as a speech therapy center, the Institute of Government, and the University Press, Waddel Hall currently houses the Rusk Center for International Law.