The Hall community, earlier known as Peniel and then Walnut Hill, was established in 1916 when the Aluminum Company of America built 137 two- and three-room homes for African American workers recruited and hired to build the local plant and work in the aluminum potrooms. During segregation, these homes were smaller than those built for white workers. The company hired John T. Arter as principal of the separate school for black youth, and he became an important community leader and advocate for the African American community. Community Hall, built in 1918 across Howe Street from Charles M. Hall School and St. Paul A.M.E. Church, provided recreational and meeting facilities for the African American community. Between 1917 and 1920, the company built approximately 400 homes for African American workers.