Old Main is built on a plat of land once owned by Edwin Dexter Brown where he had previously operated the The Lloyd Inn, until he sold it in 1893 to the state for $6,000. A telegram from G. E. McDill announced that the Board of Regents of Normal Schools of Wisconsin had selected Stevens Point as the location for the sixth campus. The effort was led by Byron Park. The telegram read: “To the boys at Stevens Point—We have won, the world is ours. Stevens Point wins on the 101st ballot.” Originally constructed for around $50,000, which was collected from residents. Opened September 17, 1894.
As Stevens Point Normal School grew so did Old Main. By 1898, President Pray had already identified that increased enrollment had resulted in overcrowding and there was a need for more space. George R. Potter of Stevens Point completed the west wing addition in 1901 for a bid of $20,250.
Construction of the east wing began in 1914 with B. L. Vaughn doing the excavation work. the addition cost $76,000. The new wing was built to accommodate the new domestic science department. During the 1915-16 school year the Domestic Science Department was renamed to Home Economics by the Board of Regents.