Minutes of meetings and annual reports indicate that discussions relative to need for hog houses and pens were common as early as 1858. Various hog facilities were constructed in 1866, 1867, 1868, and 1880; and, 1886 notes indicate that a hen house was remodeled to accommodate hogs. The major hog house constructed in 1886 was called Piggery.
This was the primary headquarters for swine production until destroyed by fire. Records are not available to indicate if the building was replaced as such.
Hog Barn and Pavilion, 1921-1922 to 1969-1976 (south farrowing wing razed in 1969 and the balance of the barn and pavilion razed in 1976)
In 1922 a major swine facility was developed for producing animals and for teaching. The development of the barn and pavilion was part of a plan to develop a "New Purebred Hog Plant" at Iowa State College. The facility was located south of the site presently occupied by the National Soil Tilth Laboratory. The building, constructed of clay tile, consisted of two wings for swine housing and a pavilion for teaching swine management and visual appraisal of animals. The design included varied and extensive skylights and windows to evaluate the advantages of natural light and sun exposure in swine production. Cost of the new barn and pavilion designed by Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson of Des Moines and built by Thomas Sloss (Iowa State College) was about $20,000. Removal of the building provided a building site for the Swine Genetics Laboratory and the Seed Laboratory.
Experimental Feeding Sheds (Hogs and Cattle), 1902 and 1916 to 1957
During the period 1902 to 1928 numerous sheds and pens were built and expanded to accommodate feeding research with cattle and hogs. These were modest, open-front sheds with outside pens. The location of these facilities, which were expanded in 1916, was in the general area presently occupied by the Physical Plant and adjacent to Pavilions 2 and 3. In 1928 a part of these facilities was moved to a site south of campus on Beech Avenue. Dr. Wise Burroughs used these experimental facilities in the 1950s for beef cattle nutrition research. It was at this location that Burroughs's work led to the idea of including stilbestrol in the diets of cattle to enhance growth and efficiency of feed utilization. The idea was patented by the Iowa State University Research Foundation and for many years most beef cattle finished in the United States were produced using this technology. In 1957 the Beef Nutrition Research Farm northwest of campus was completed and beef cattle nutrition and related management research was moved to that location. The feeding sheds were removed soon after to clear the site for construction of the Iowa State Center.