As Iowa State undergoes a constructional face-lift with the renovation of many campus buildings, students and faculty may not realize that some of the most architecturally beautiful buildings on campus aren’t brand new and renovated buildings.

Instead, some buildings started out as one of the most basic aspects of an originally agricultural college – the barns.

Solon “Bud” Ewing, professor emeritus of animal science and head of the department for 20 years, has had a longtime respect for ISU barns and is doing his part to bring attention to them.

“I’ve always had a general interest in the history of agriculture and the culture that surrounds it,” he said. “I’m hoping to increase attention given to the barns, which have been allowed to go into a poor state of repair.”

Ewing said the horse barn north of campus, built in 1923, remains largely original in both interior and exterior design and is one of the most architecturally beautiful. He said it has been allowed to deteriorate to the greatest extent.

“The barns are an important part of agricultural history and heritage,” he said. “The administration needs to repair and preserve this heritage.”

Ewing is part of the Iowa Barn Foundation, which works with alumni and friends to generate interest in the preservation of the barns at Iowa State. While the Foundation isn’t a part of Iowa State, one of its goals is to talk with ISU administration about the renovation and preservation of the barns.

M. Douglas Kenealy, professor and acting head of the Department of Animal Science, said the barns have been kept an effective part of the ISU community.

“All of the barns are in active use and have been since they were built and will continue to be in use for some time,” he said. “The buildings are being used for teaching, extension and research.”

The Landscape Architecture building originally was a horse barn and is now used for teaching. The inside of the building has been redone extensively to suit the classroom format, but the outside is in the original design, Ewing said.

The current Landscape Architecture building was built from 1930 to 1931, making it the youngest out of the three original barns left on the ISU campus.

The oldest barn, built in 1908, is the red dairy barn located south of campus on Mortensen Road. Kenealy said the parlor of the barn is the oldest active, being built in the 1930s.

This building in particular needs more funds and support to keep in working condition, he said.

“All of the barns are very old,” Kenealy said. “The horse barns are approximately 75 years old and the dairy barn is about 100 years old. Because of the age, the buildings are in a constant need of repair, and there are limited funds for things like this. We are constantly needing to beg, borrow and steal time and resources for the barns.”