DAIRY INDUSTRY BUILDING

The earliest request for a new building for the Dairy department was made in 1923, and repeated in the next two biennia. In 1927 the 42nd General Assembly appropriated $500,000 for the project.

The site for the new building was agreed upon when

President Knapp recommended that the Dairy Building be located so that the center of the front door shall be on a straight line north of the east wall of the Old Dairy Building; and the axis of the Dairy Building shall be on the axis of Engineering Hall and directly east of that building, and the west side shall be on the frontage of the Old Dairy Building.¹

(The Old Dairy Building is today’s East Hall and Engineering Hall is now Marston Hall. The reference to the front door to be on line with the “east” wall appears to be an error, that the “west” wall was intended.)

A contemporary account records the construction start and describes the configuration of the building:

Actual work was begun Sept. 13, and as the grading and excavating progresses, it will not be long before the foundation can be poured. The plans call for a main building 204 feet long from north to south, 64 feet wide, and two stories high, built of Bedford stone. The main part will be flanked by two wings each extending from the east side about 225 feet, to be constructed of brick similar to the stone, which, when finished, is to be rendered a complete quadrangle by the erection of a wall on the east. ²

The cornerstone of the building was placed with due ceremony on November 29, 1927,³ and the formal dedication occurred on November 14, 1928. ⁴

The interior court of the quadrangle was improved, as described in the Iowa State Student on April 20, 1929:

Plans for the garden of the new dairy building are almost complete. Professor P.H. Elwood, head of the Landscape Architecture Department, is making the final plans for the garden now.

The garden will be surrounded by a gravel walk and several walks will lead to the center from this outer walk. There will be a flower bed in the center and a fountain also has been proposed. The fountain, if it is built, will be supplied with water from the ammonia ice machine inside the building. It is also planned to put benches in the garden and upon the veranda overlooking the garden. When visitors go through the building they will be served ice-cream in the garden or up on the veranda.

In September 1930 it was reported that the Ceramic Engineering Department was constructing the “ornamental fountain”. ⁵ Development of the court continued over a period of several years. It was completed by 1937 as recorded in the Iowa State Student on May 13, that year:

Prof. C.A. Iverson’s 8 years’ dream of a model dairy court is being realized. Eight years ago the space was used as a tennis court. Three years ago terracotta plaques depicting typical dairy scenes were made by Christian Petersen and placed below the middle plaque. Last year the debris was removed from the court and the court was filled in with dirt.

This spring Professor Hanson of the Landscape Architecture Department made plans for the formal arrangement and landscaping of the court. The court has a large central gravel walk and several paths surrounded by clipped hedges and is shaded by four elm trees.

The court may be entered from the terrace which is being planted with tall cedars and vines. Four tables shaded by huge multicolored umbrellas will soon be placed on the terrace to furnish a restful spot where customers may enjoy dairy products.

A new ice cream hardening room was installed in 1940.⁶ A cheese storage room to accommodate 40,000 pounds of cheese was added in 1949.⁷

As extensive remodeling of the laboratories was undertaken in 1967-68, partly funded by a grant from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Total cost of this project came to about $94,000. It was principally used for changes and equipment in the laboratories at the east end of the building.

In 1973 the auditorium was completely renovated by Physical Plant at a cost of $71,000.