Dairy Barn

Dairy Barn

1915 Linden Drive

Built in 1898

The Dairy Barn’s design was inspired by the rural architecture of Normandy, France. Agricultural physics and soil science professor F. H. King and other faculty provided significant input into the barn’s plans so that it would meet their needs for research and instruction. This was the site for early research on vitamins, silos, barn ventilation and forage storage. Most notably, the groundbreaking “single-grain experiment” was conducted here from 1907 to 1911, showing that corn-fed cows were more healthy than those fed with oats, wheat, or a combination of the three. This discovery bolstered the idea of nutrition as a science.

In 1917, a milk house and additional livestock barn space were added on the east side of the original barn. A portion of the original barn now houses the Equine Teaching and Research Center.

The Dairy Barn was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, and deemed a National Historic Landmark in 2005.