Round Barns and Manager House

Project Name

Round Barn Restoration

Start Date

May 2025

Completion Date

To Be Determined

Project Summary

The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine will restore three historic round barns and an adjacent manger house, iconic symbols of Champaign County’s agricultural heritage. Built in the early 1900s, the barns will undergo structural stabilization, roof and siding replacement, and framing repairs using historically accurate methods. The manger house will be refurbished to support future educational and interpretive use. These restorations will preserve the barns’ unique architecture and legacy while transforming the site into a space for public learning, outreach, and continued celebration of the region’s farming and veterinary history.

Fun Facts or Stats

• The three round barns were built between 1907 and 1913 as part of the University’s Experimental Dairy Farm at South Farm. They were constructed to showcase the labor-efficient and cost-effective design of round barns
• Built as demonstration barns under the leadership of Wilbur J. Fraser, head of the Department of Dairy Husbandry (1902–1913), they embodied his vision of “economy of consideration, low maintenance, and labor efficiency” for dairy operations
• In 1994, the barns were designated as contributing structures in the National Register of Historic Places, as part of the University of Illinois Experimental Dairy Farm Historic District
• For more historical data check out this link https://uihistories.library.illinois.edu/cgi-bin/cview?SITEID=1&ID=227