The Ford Hotel was originally built in 1854 as a private home known as "Brookside" by Henry Burbidge Allison (1801-1890). He was a brother of the founder. In 1896, it was purchased by Henry Fawcett and C. Pickard who sold it a year later to C. Wry. Thereafter, it was operated as a hotel. A Sackville Tribune newspaper article from 18 December 1902 discussed proposed improvements including a third storey and an addition (40 x 46 feet). These changes were completed by 1905 and allowed for a dining room at the back and an extension to the south end.
When the number of female university students became too large to accommodate in the White House in 1920, the university leased the Ford Hotel to house them. It was then known as Allison Hall, the first of four residences temporarily called Allison Hall. Four years later, it became too small and the women were moved to Brunswick House, which then took the name Allison Hall.
In 1929 the Ford Hotel building was purchased by the university for $12,000. It was renamed Allison Lodge (often also known as "The Lodge") and used first to house boys from the Mount Allison Male Academy and later to accommodate female students from the Commercial College.
After the Second University Men's Residence was destroyed by fire on December 16, 1941, the members of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) who were taking a radio mechanics course on campus were moved to Allison Lodge and the female students moved out. The building briefly housed female students again before it reverted once more to a men's residence when the university girls were moved in the University Girls' Residence (UGR) in 1946. It was sold in 1952 to Steadman Brothers Limited.