| The Veterinary Dairy Barn was constructed in 1930 to provide space for research and instruction in veterinary medicine. It originally had 12 box stalls, 23 cattle stanchions, exercising paddocks, a milk house, and a silo. It was designed to research diseases among dairy cattle.
Oregon’s dairy industry grew rapidly in the early 1900s and Oregon Agricultural College advanced their studies accordingly. The college established its first space for Dairy Department instruction in Agricultural Hall in 1903, and built their first Dairy Barn in 1909. By the 1920s, Oregon’s dairy industry had grown enough to produce a surplus. The college developed close ties to the industry during these years and had a representative on the Board of the Oregon Dairy Manufacturers’ Association. The Veterinary Dairy Barn began construction in 1929, the same year that the college hosted the State-wide Dairy Convention.
The Vet Dairy Barn is the only surviving barn of six that Portland architect John V. Bennes designed for the University. Though an inventory of state-owned buildings produced by the Oregon State Planning Board in 1936 estimated that the Barn only have a life-span of 33 years, it remains in good condition 77 years after construction. It is still used by the College of Veterinary Medicine, providing space for its Therio Program. |
