{"id":1178,"date":"2024-04-26T20:11:52","date_gmt":"2024-04-26T20:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kevinforsyth.net\/ELMAC\/?p=1178"},"modified":"2025-04-23T14:03:34","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T14:03:34","slug":"farm-complex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kevinforsyth.net\/ELMAC\/farm-complex\/","title":{"rendered":"The Farm Complexes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A portion of the original farm complex, view facing roughly east, circa 1886. From distant left to right, the barns are the Grain Barn (1883), Cattle Barn (1862), and the “new” Horse Barn (1872), with the roof of the herdsman’s house just visible beyond. The\u00a0Veterinary Laboratory<\/a> is at far right, with the original\u00a0horse barn<\/a>\u00a0out of view behind it. A photo taken from the same vantage point today would have\u00a0Agriculture Hall<\/a>\u00a0at the center of the frame. Image source:\u00a0Beal<\/a>, p.\u00a0154.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When the Agricultural College opened its doors in 1857, its farm buildings consisted of one simple, brick horse barn<\/a>. For convenience, it was placed about midway between College Hall<\/a> and the centerline of the farm (soon to be Farm Lane<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next barn of record was not completed until after the Reorganization of 1861<\/a>. The first cattle barn (1862) was placed near the original horse barn, and assembly of the college\u2019s first farm \u201ccomplex\u201d had begun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the next two decades the complex grew steadily, including: a sheep barn (1865), a swine barn or \u201cpiggery\u201d (1870), a \u201cnew\u201d horse barn (1872), a corn crib (1878), a tool and implement barn (1881), a grain barn (1883), and a feed barn for the Experiment Station (c.1884).<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the College continued to grow, the academic campus began to encroach upon the farm complex. The piggery was moved eastward in 1885 to make room for the new Mechanical Shops<\/a>. The Agricultural Laboratory<\/a> was built within just a few yards of the cattle barn in 1889. And by 1900, the Farm Foreman\u2019s house<\/a> was moved from the laboratory row<\/a> to accommodate the first Dairy<\/a> building, and took the place of the Herdsman\u2019s house partially seen in the above photo.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two dairy barns were built in 1897 and 1900 further south along Farm Lane, which avoided the cluttered barn layout but exacerbated its inefficiency. The ad-hoc manner in which the farm complex had developed led to a number of issues: the distance covered by workers in making the day\u2019s rounds was excessive and time-consuming; the layout lacked a centralized manure yard, leading to many separate piles; food supplies were likewise scattered; and proper drainage was proving troublesome. Perhaps worst of all, the farm hospital (a conversion of the 1884 Experiment Station feed barn) was located in the midst of the other barns, in a position where most other livestock would have to pass by\u2014and risk infection\u2014on their way to and from the fields south of the river.2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Farm complex, viewed toward the southeast, as published in the 47th Annual Report (1908). In foreground left are the south end of the Power House (1904) and its coal shed with conveyor tunnel. The large gambrel-roofed barn is the 1906 Horse Barn, standing at the northside of the new courtyard, with the dairy barns beyond. At right are the Piggery and a chicken shed. The flat roof on which the photographer stood, visible in the lower right corner, is\u00a0Engineering Hall<\/a>, new in 1907. In the gap of the trees in the right distance is the third\u00a0Farm Lane<\/a>\u00a0bridge. Image source:\u00a0Widder<\/a>, p.\u00a0110.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A major reorganization was in order, and between 1902 and 1908 that is exactly what was done. The farm complex was reassembled to consolidate operations and create a more efficient layout. Although the option of tearing down and building new was briefly considered, Dean Robert Shaw<\/a> and the Agriculture Department chose instead to move and refurbish the existing barns, since \u201cthe old buildings contained hardwood frames covered with white pine siding of a quality such as could scarcely be obtained on the market today at any price.\u201d3<\/a><\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the core of the new design, a courtyard was created and surrounded by four large barns:<\/p>\n\n\n\n