Inscription:
"Dairy Experimental Round Barns
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
These three round barns served as model dairy facilities for the University’s
20-acre demonstration dairy farm developed in the early 20th century. The
farm’s sole purpose was to produce the largest amount of milk per acre at the
lowest possible cost.
Built by Wilbur J. Fraser and H.C. Crouch between 1907 and 1913. the barns
were thought to require less lumber in the frame and less bracing than the
traditional square and rectangular barns. The arched circular roof required
no support or scaffolding during construction. And the deep silo in the
center eliminated the need for a separate structure. Feeding the livestock
standing in a circle facing a central silo decreased the distance to carry feed.
The streamlined form of the barns enabled them to withstand the strong
winds and tornadoes common on the plains.
Round barns were first built by Shakers in 1824, near Hancock,
Massachusetts, and reached their peak of popularity in the 1890’s. Few were
built after World War l when farm mechanization became more established.
Today the barns are used largely for housing cattle and storing farm equipment
and seed. It has been estimated that fewer than 60 round barns exist in America today.
The University of Illinois Experimental Dairy Farm Historic District was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1994."
The round barns were an agricultural experiment and teaching tool; their intent was to demonstrate that dairy production can be increased through the use of round structures for forage storage (hay and silage) and milking.
Continued from the University of Illinois: Virtual Campus Tour at (
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"The barns "offer[ed] the dairy farmer 'economy of consideration, low maintenance, and labor efficiency'". Although originally constructed as an experiment, the barns later led the way for round barns to take over Illinois. Fewer than 60 of them remain throughout the United States.
First built by the Shakers in 1824, round barns required less lumber and bracing the frame. Construction was also simplified, as no elaborate scaffolding was required for the circular arched roof. The barns also proved more resilient against to prairie storms.
The three University of Illinois barns were originally part of a larger complex known as the Experimental Dairy Barns and were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. "
More from UIHistories Project: A History of the University of Illinois by Kalev Leetaru at (
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"The barns, originally constructed as demonstration and research structures, were the creation of Wilbur J. Fraser, who led the Department of Dairy Husbandry from 1902 to 1913, and H. C. Crouch. Although originally constructed as an experiment, the barns later led the way for round barns to take over Illinois. Fewer than 60 of them remain throughout the United States.
The three University of Illinois barns were engineered by James M. White, Kell, and Bernard, and were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. They followed the 1893 construction of the Pure Bred Cattle Dairy Barn, a contemporary construction costing $7,500. The first of the three was known simply as the Twenty Acre Dairy Barn, built in 1907 for $3,200, and located near the Dairy Farm House built the same year for $3,000. It was followed by the Dairy Horse Barn was built in 1912 for $2,000, the Dairy House and Shop in 1913 for $2,300, and the Dairy Experiment Barn in 1913 for $11,000.
Collectively, the Dairy Horse Barn, the Dairy House and Shop, and the Dairy Experiment Barn were known as the Experimental Dairy Barns. The Horse Barn was a 40 by 70 foot wood structure with an attached Grout silo, while the two-story House and Shop, measuring 26 by 32 feet, housed the "office, shop, coal room, dairy room, and four sleeping rooms for employees". The Experiment Barn was the centerpiece of the complex, spanning 70 feet in diameter with a reinforced concrete silo at its heart."
Wikipedia has a very nice entry on the barns at (
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You can drive right up to the barns and wander around and explore. I have enjoyed discovering and waymarking many interesting locations on the U of I campus and in the surrounding area during visits to my sons who are students here.