Structure 4 first appeared on the lithograph of the Academical Village engraved by Serz and published by Bohn in 1856 as a pyramidal roofed building backing against the southern serpentine wall of Garden VI. In 1960, a part of the southern foundation wall of Structure 4 was found, four feet under the modern grade, during the excavations of the East Lawn led by Donald Parker. The wall was described as two brick courses thick abutting the serpentine wall. Parker concluded that Structure 4 was a privy. After the excavation, a plan titled “East Lawn Garden Restorations” by Hopkins and Parker was released, on which Structure 4 was documented as being 12’ by 12’.  In 2008, Rivanna Archaeological Services conducted an excavation in an attempt to locate Structure 4's foundation. The excavation yielded a lot of glassware, but the foundation was not found and therefore the function of Structure 4 was deemed inconclusive. Information on when this structure was built or demolished has not been found.

Based on the depth of the foundation in the 1960 excavation, the dimensions of the building, and the materials found on the site, Structure 4 may have been a dairy and hence, was modeled as one. A dairy was not only a place where cheese and butter were made, but also functioned as storage where food could be kept cool.  The details of the digital reconstruction come from research into other dairy outbuildings.