During 1872 to 1880, Dr. Mackay had been preaching to the Taiwanese people outdoors until he felt the need to build a school. Therefore, when he returned to Canada in 1880, he raised money for the school. Construction of Oxford College completed in 1882. In honor of the Canadian contributors, he named the school after his hometown, Oxford. Oxford College has the characteristics of traditional Chinese architecture with a symmetrical structure. There are 8 little Buddhist towers on the roof instead of crucifixes. The school engaged in training missionaries, medial workers and teachers.
Oxford College is considered to have provided an educational foundation for Aletheia University and Tamkang Senior High School. The building was designed by Dr. Mackay with traditional Chinese architectural style. Construction materials, such as bricks and roof tiles, were imported from Hsia Men. The bricks were coated with paint to prevent weather damage, while sticky rice mixed with lime and sugar was the major material for the walls.