On Dr. MacKay’s first furlough home back to Oxford County, Canada, in 1880, he reported the progress of his missionary work in Taiwan and proposed to raise funds to erect a college building for education (instead of sitting outdoors.) The proposal was approved and a sum of $6,215 was raised for the new school building.

After arriving back in Tamsui, Dr. MacKay procured a land in Chiniudioa; he personally designed and oversaw the construction. Bricks and China Fir were imported from Amoy (today’s Xiamen, China). Glutinous rice, black sugar, lime, and gravel were mixed and used in replacement of cement. The red brick academy, of western and eastern design, was named Oxford College in gratitude of the contribution from back home.

The building of Oxford College simulates the structure of traditional Chinese four-section compound farm house, reflecting MacKay’s approval and identification to the local culture. This western-eastern building is the first Eastern education academy in Taiwan; 18 students attended class in its first year. At Oxford College, the curriculum included the Bible, medicine, chemistry, zoology, astronomy, and physiology; it was the base of which Dr. MacKay trained missionaries, medical professions, and educated the public.

With the establishment of Tamkang Senior High School in 1914, the Oxford College was used as a classroom until 1925. The building became a dormitory for Taipei Theological School (precursor of today’s Taiwan Theological College and Seminary) between 1931 to1937. The building was also once used as a student dormitory, a preschool, a music classroom, and an art classroom.

The Oxford College was listed as a Level 2 historical site in 1985. The bullet holes on its walls still remain from the Sino-French War, 1884. The Oxford College is now Aletheia University’s archive, preserving historical records regarding Dr. MacKay, Aletheia University, and the Presbyterian Church in North Taiwan.