The original music hall at Notre Dame burned down in the fire of 1879. Built in honor of Sorin's hero George Washington, Washington Hall exhibits the modern gothic architecture common throughout the early buildings at Notre Dame. Washington Hall housed many classrooms and practice rooms, along with an octagonal-shaped theatre. The theatre originally housed murals and frescoes by Luigi Gregori and Signor Rusca, including portraits of Shakespeare, Mozart, and Dante. However, these paintings were tragically destroyed during the 1956 renovation. Washington Hall has housed countless student productions and a variety of speakers, including Henry James, William Jennings Bryan, and G.K. Chesterton.

Some believe that the goast of football player George Gipp, who became fatally ill after sleeping on the steps of Washington Hall, lives within the building. George Gipp is played by Ronald Reagan in the 1940 film "Knute Rockne, All American."

Today, Washington Hall is home to student performances and rehearsals. It can hold 564 people in auditorium-style seating.