ELIOT HALL AND
MAY HALL

Lugard Hall (demolished), the oldest of the three, opened in 1913 as the student hostel, with Dr Francis Clark, first Dean of Medicine, serving as the warden. Eliot Hall and May Hall were subsequently added in 1914 and 1915, respectively. They were named after Sir Frederick Lugard (the first Chancellor), Sir Charles Eliot (the first Vice-Chancellor) and Sir Francis Henry May (the second Chancellor).

These halls have borne witness to both the history of the University and of Hong Kong. During the Second World War, Lugard Hall and Eliot Hall functioned as temporary hospitals, providing vital support to Queen Mary Hospital. May Hall, situated adjacent to Eliot Hall, conveniently served as quarters for hospital staff. On January 1, 1942, a special Congregation took place in May Hall, during which wartime medical degrees were conferred upon fourteen medical students.

In the summer of 1966, torrential rain and massive landslides brought by typhoon Wanda led to the collapse of the east ends of May and Eliot Halls. Subsequent to the incident, parts of the building were demolished while others required repairs. The University took the opportunity to combine Lugard Hall, Eliot Hall and May Hall into one large residential unit and renamed them as Old Halls (明原堂) in 1969. The Eliot Wing reverted to its old name Eliot Hall in 1992, following the demolition of the Lugard Wing.

Eliot Hall and May Hall have since been repurposed into offices for teaching and research.

May Hall and Eliot Hall were declared monuments by the Hong Kong Government in 2018.