dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə nˈaɪntiːnθ sˈɛntʃɚɹi, ɪt wʌz hˈoʊst tə ðɪ ˈɑːksfɚd dʒɪmnˈeɪsiəm, dɪzˈaɪnd baɪ wˈɪljəm wˈɪlkɪnsən ænd bˈɪlt ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti nˈaɪn fɔːɹ ˈɑːɹtʃɪbˌɔːld mˈæk lˈæɹən, ɐn ˈɜːli fˈɪzɪkəl ˌɛdʒuːkˈeɪʃən paɪənˈɪɹ.
During the 19th century, it was host to the Oxford Gymnasium, designed by William Wilkinson and built in 1859 for Archibald MacLaren, an early physical education pioneer.