Farm Machinery Hall
1872-1963
Quick Facts:
Built: 1872
Original Intent: New College Barn
Destroyed: 1963 (Razed)
Housed:
New College Barn (1872-1875)
Chief College Building - All Departments (1875-1878)
College Library (1877-1879)
Women’s Boardinghouse (1878-1883)
Chapel/Auditorium (N/A - 1885)
War Department / Military Science and Tactics (1881-1911)
Department of Natural History (1883-1896)
Department of Physiology and Veterinary Sciences (1888-1908)
Department of Farm Engineering (1911-1934)
Names:
New College Barn (1872-1875)
Chief College Building: (1875-1878)
Societies Hall / “Old Barn” (1875-1881)
Armory (1881-1911)
Farm Machinery Hall (1911-1963)
Circa late-1880s. Courtesy of Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Archives and Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries.
Kansas State Agricultural College was wanting to expand their College Farm to allow for more usage. In 1871, the local Manhattan Township sold $12,000 worth of land-bonds to the University for the new farm. On this land, a new barn was planned to house more animals and provide more storage for their crops. These plans were seen as “lofty” and “ambitious”, but construction began on the north wing of the New Barn in 1871.
This building was designed by J. G. Haskell with an unknown amount needed for construction. Once this wing was completed, it measured in full, 96 x 46ft.
The rest of the plan for barn was never fully built, leaving it in an “unfinished” state. Only the southwest wing was completed (left side of picture). With this wing being completed in 1872, it was used as a barn until 1875 when another design was presented for a new barn, which was later built in 1877. The southwest wing of the barn became the first permanent structure on what is now the current Kansas State University Campus.
1871-1875
This cut illustrates the first college barn as planed in 1872. Looking northwest.
Several minor renovations occurred from 1875 to 1885 to transform the building from the old barn layout to allow for several different uses.
In 1875, the building was renovated to make room for the near complete move from the original college building to its new location. This building would hold almost every department of the University, excluding the Manual Arts and Farm Department. Most of the departments occupied the space until new buildings were constructed. Below is when and where departments moved.
Chemistry Department moved in 1876 to the new Chemistry Hall (Holtz Hall).
Sewing was moved in 1876 to Industrial Hall (Regnier Hall).
Horticulture and Botany Department moved in 1876 to the new Horticulture Hall, later named Illustrations Hall.
University Executive, English, and Printing Departments moved in 1878, along with the College Library in 1879, to the new Main College Building (Anderson Hall - North Wing).
1875-1879
Illustrated photo of “Old Barn” from the First Biennial Report of the State Board of Agriculture, 1877-1878. Looking northwest.
Illustrated photo of KSAC Campus from the First Biennial Report of the State Board of Agriculture, 1877-1878. Looking Northwest.
Buildings L-R: Main College Building (North Wing of Anderson Hall), Chemistry Hall (Holtz Hall), Mechanics Hall (Regnier Hall), Horticulture Hall, Residential Dwelling, Farm Machinery Hall
Once all the departments had been moved to their new locations, this building went under yet another minor renovation. This renovation was done to create a Women’s Boardinghouse on the second floor, while also providing room for the Professor of Agriculture for several years. The first floor maintained its look, with the northeast room on the first floor used as a meeting space for the Literary Societies. The other room on the first floor, which took up the majority of the space, was left open.
This space was used as the chapel until the central portion of the Main College Building was completed, then this space was used as a “gymnasium” and “auditorium”. The space then was mostly occupied by the indoor trainings of the War Department (re-established in 1881) during inclement weather. When the War Department was first re-established, it was optional for students, until 1894 when it became mandatory for all students, both men and women. With the department utilizing the space the most, the building was later renamed to the Armory.
1879-1886
In 1885, the Natural History Department had grown large enough to the point they were no longer fit in one building. The new Horticulture Hall had soon grown too small for the growing department, hinting the need of a new permanent space. This was mostly due to the expansion of a new position, Professor of Botany and Zoology, added in 1882. A Dr. William Kellerman soon took the position.
With the Armory recently being vacated by near all of its original departments, its space caught the eye of the department. With the help of John D. Walters, Professor of Mechanics and Engineering and Superintendent of Workshops, drafted a renovation plan for the building. This plan offered a new south exterior to serve as an entrance, with an added gable roof above. New skylights were added on the east and west portion of the building as well to allow for more natural lighting on the second floor. This renovation began in late-1885 and finished in 1886. The renovation was completed by Hulse and Moses.
1886-1894
Armory circa late-1880s. Looking north.
Courtesy of Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Archives and Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries.
Armory circa mid-1890s. Looking northwest.
Courtesy of Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Archives and Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries.
The interior was also heavily reimagined. The first floor was mostly left alone, minus a few upkeep initiatives, but the second floor got the majority of the renovation. The second floor was to become home to the Natural History Department. The second floor would hold laboratories, study spaces, a workroom, storeroom and a new Natural History Museum.
In 1888, the Armory seemed to be gathering even more attention. With its history of being the starting place of most departments at KSAC, another new department was added within the building. This new department was known as the Department of Physiology and Veterinary Sciences. This included zoology, geology, and physiology. Luckily, most of the first floor was only used for storage and indoor practice of the War Department, so they could cooperate within the space. The department soon grew rapidly, allowing for several other buildings to be built around campus to have enough space for the entire department.
The departments soon outgrew the space provided by the Armory.
By 1894, the Natural History Department did not have enough room to expand the museum further. The department had run into the similar issues before had been spread around campus. Unlike that time, however, a new building was being erected, and would soon be the new home of the Natural History Department. This new building was the Library and Agricultural Science Hall (later named Fairchild Hall). With construction completed in 1894, yet another department left the Armory.
Though the Armory had begun to empty, it still had some potential. A new sport had been created, Basketball, and KSAC wanted to join in, thus creating its first league basketball team in 1902. There had not been much room anywhere else on campus, but the Armory had enough space to host the first league game of KSAC. The first game was held on January 16, 1903, against Haskell College. Unfortunately, being relatively new, KSAC lost 7-60. This did not damper their spirit, and continued with hosting and participating in games. It is believed that this is the last piece of growth that the Armory got to experience.
By 1908, the Department of Physiology and Veterinary Sciences had changed and expanded exponentially, being completely scattered around campus. It had been planned to build a new Veterinary Science Hall (Leasure Hall) by the end of 1908. When this building was completed, the department left the Armory, though still used the space as storage.
By 1911, the University had grown in numbers, meaning more people to host space for their required Military Practice and Tactics class, making the Armory mostly obsolete. Nichols Gymnasium was completed in 1911, and most of the War Department soon moved there. Along with the War Department, the new basketball sport was moved over to the larger gymnasium in Nichols, since it had grown rapidly in popularity. Yet another loss for the Armory. By this time, the only thing occupying any space was storage for the War, Veterinary Science, and Natural History Departments.
1894-1911
By 1912, the Armory had become a former shell of itself. The University had grown beyond what the Armory could truly hold. It was given one more chance in 1912, the Shops had begun to be over crowded, and the Farm Engineering Department needed a space they could call their own, so they moved into the former Armory. The Armory was then renamed Farm Machinery Hall.
On May 26, 1934, the State Architect deemed the building to be unsafe for use, and with all of its previous renovations, it was too expensive to attempt to rework and refurbish. Once this announcement was made, everything moved out of Farm Machinery Hall, the building became condemned. There were ideas in 1954 to renovate the building to house the Bacteriology Department, though this space would be less than what they had at the time. Sadly this did not come to fruition, though many other debates were made about saving the building. It may have been used off-and-on as storage or a sneaky place for college students, but otherwise was ignored and forgotten.
In 1963, it was razed to make room for the construction process of the new physical science building to the north, which would become Cardwell Hall. It had sat for 29 years and was in so bad of shape, it was said to have been easy to raze. Today, the place that this building once sat is now just a green space, and the history and memory of this building has been ignored and forgotten….
Until now.
1911-1963
Farm Machinery Hall circa mid-1950s. Looking northwest.
Courtesy of Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Archives and Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries
Farm Machinery Hall circa early-1960s. Looking northwest.
Courtesy of Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Archives and Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries
One of the final attempts to save Farm Machinery Hall. Correspondence between University President McCain and Architecture Instructor Graham. Courtesy of Department of Space Management, Division of Facilities.
Section One - 1871-1875
(Picture) Willard, Julius Terrass, History of the Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science (Manhattan, KS: Kansas State College Press, 1940), 31.
Willard, History, 30.
Willard, History, 44.
Willard, History, 68
Tenth Annual Report, Topeka, Kansas: Kansas Publishing House, 1872. 17.
Section Two - 1875-1879
(Pictures) Willard, History, 49.
“Old Hall Once a Barn,” The Kansas Industrialist, April 9, 1924.
Willard, History, 44.
“History of K-State Libraries,” Libraries, https://lib.k-state.edu/about/our-organization/history/.
Section Three - 1879-1886
“Old Hall Once a Barn,” The Kansas Industrialist, April 9, 1924.
Willard, History, 71.
State Agricultural College Third Biennial Report of the Regents and Faculty, 1881-82, Topeka, Kansas: Kansas Publishing House, 1883, 47.
Section Four - 1886-1894
(Pictures) "Farm Machinery Hall," Pictures Files, Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Archives and Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries.
State Agricultural College Fourth Biennial Report of the Regents and Faculty, 1882-83, Topeka, Kansas: Kansas Publishing House, 1885, 10.
Willard, History, 73.
“Old Hall Once a Barn,” The Kansas Industrialist, April 9, 1924.
"Farm Machinery Hall," Willard Card Catalog, Card 2, referencing The Kansas Industrialist, April 21, 1886, Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Archives and Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries.
Willard, History, 79.
Section Five - 1894-1911
"Farm Machinery Hall," Willard Card Catalog, Card 6, referencing The Kansas Industrialist, February 8, 1896, Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Archives and Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries.
Noland, John, “Fine Basketball Becomes ’Cat Tradition,” Kansas State Collegian, Internet Archive, February 15, 1963, https://archive.org/details/KSULKSColl196162V69N7790/page/n83/mode/2up.
“1902-03 Men’s Basketball Schedule,” Kansas State University Athletics, https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule/1902-03.
Willard, History, 144.
Willard, History, 155.
Section Six - 1911-1963
(Top Pictures) "Farm Machinery Hall", Pictures Files, Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Archives and Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries.
(Bottom Picture) Pages from General Box 17, Historic Documents, 1927-1977, Department of Space Management, Division of Facilities.
"Farm Machinery Hall", Willard Card Catalog, Card 9, referencing The Board of Regent Minutes, May 26, 1934, Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Archives and Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries.
Pages from General Box 44, Campus Development, 1951-1962, Department of Space Management, Division of Facilities.