Matthew J. Walsh decided to build Saint Edward's Hall  in 1882 to house the boarding school for the minims program, ages six to thirteen, which was growing and reached a population of a 100 in 1883. The hall was designed by Charles Harding, C.S.C, in Notre Dame yellow brick in French style, with a Mansard roof and named after Edward Sorin's patron saint.
In 1882, Matthew J. Walsh initiated the construction of Saint Edward's Hall to house the boarding school for the minims program, which was expanding and reached one hundred students by 1883. The hall, designed in Notre Dame yellow brick with a French style and Mansard roof, was named after Saint Edward Sorin's patron saint.