FARM BOARDING CLUB

Original site just east of Library east front, west side of Morrill Road.

The Horticulture Department expressed the need for a “garden-house” as early as 1871 when Professor Bessey prepared plans for a building estimated to cost $2500. By 1877 the estimated cost was $3500.

The building did not become a reality until the summer of 1878. The 17th General Assembly had appropriated $2500 for the building but those funds would not be available until January 1, 1879. Professor J.L. Budd loaned the College $2500 (at 8% interest) on July 1, 1878 and construction of the building was possible that summer. That amount was only 42% of the estimated $6000 requested. The result is summarized in the 8th Biennial Report (1878-79):

This reduction compelled the committee to plan a cheap wooden structure for class room, office, seed room, specimen room, store room, with attached propagating pits, grafting room, etc., of restricted size and cheap construction. In carrying out these modest plans, neither creditable to the College nor the State, the appropriation would still have been inadequate had not firms, in Clinton, Iowa, generously furnished the lumber, doors, sash, etc. at prices below dealers rates. Active completion also permitted letting contracts for labor at hard time prices.

The total expenditures came to $2500.

In the same report the building is further described:

The Horticulture Building is a neat structure, containing on the first floor a well-furnished lecture room, professor’s room, and seed room. On the second floor is the Horticulture museum. The cellar has two spacious rooms, one for the storage of garden products, the other for the use of the nursery propagating department. A grafting neat room and propagating structure are attached, heated with hot-water pipes.

In 1894, after the Horticulture department had moved to the new Agriculture Hall (Botany Hall), Horticulture Hall was remodeled as a residence following plans by Mr. Whiting, at an estimated cost of $850. Miss Marie Chambers, director of music, rented the house in 1895 and established it as a boarding club. Water and sewer connections were installed in 1896. The building continued as a faculty or sub-faculty club until 1906, when it was reserved for contagious hospital purposes.

Whether it was actually used for this purpose is uncertain. In 1908 the suggestion was made that it “be moved to some obscure location and used as a detention hospital.” ¹

The old building remained in place until 1915 when it was moved to the south side of what is now called Wallace Road at the west end of the new addition to the Women’s Gym. It was the westernmost of the five frame buildings in the group of five “employees’ cottages” moved or built there between 1915 and 1924.

It was used as an employees’ boarding house for some years thereafter. Later it was an employees residence.

It was razed in 1970 to make way for the Gymnasium addition.