Shapero Hall was built in 1951 and it opened in 1954. Shapero Hall was located at 1401 Rivard Street near the corner of Antietam Avenue, on the city's near east side, on the outskirts of downtown Detroit. Shapero Hall was a modern-style, eight-story office building that was home to Wayne State University's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. ...

Most of the classes offered at Shapero Hall were in relation to Occupational Health, Environmental Health, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Mortuary Sciences. Shapero Hall had a dark brown-brick exterior that featured long, rectangular rows of windows on each of the building's eight stories. Shapero Hall had a slight "T-shaped" floor plan that consisted of a first floor main lobby, student common areas, administration offices, and student advising offices.  The basement was where the laboratory and morgue where located.  The rest of the floors at Shapero Hall were all classrooms and lecture halls.

When Shapero Hall opened  in 1954, it was originally named the Wayne State University Medical Science Building.In 1974, Wayne State University changed it's name to the Health Sciences Building. In 1984, the Wayne State University Health Sciences Building became Shapero Hall. Wayne State University changed the name to honor Mr. Nate Shapero, who was the founder of the Cunningham Drug chain. Wayne State University continued to operate the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for students at Shapero Hall until it finally closed in 2002.

In 2002, Wayne State University's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences began moving from Shapero Hall. The program moved into the then-new $66 million, 270,000-square-foot building at John R and Mack Avenue. It was renamed the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Shapero Hall continued to sit empty for many years and it suffered from the neglect.  The windows started to break and fall out, scrappers began to steal the metals, and vandals began to destroy anything they could get their hands on.  It was finally boarded up properly and a security alarm was installed.

As of 2015, Shapero Hall is currently undergoing renovations to become studio apartments. The project is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

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