Farm House / Mumford House

While the Mechanic and Military Hall inaugurated the University's construction plans to the North, Mumford House helped launch its Southern expansion. Built around 1870, this Gothic-style building was built by J.S. Searfoss and originally called the Farm House. Located at 1403 E. Lorado Taft Dr. in Urbana, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. [1]

Situated on the Horticultural grounds, Farm House was "designed to afford a fair model for a farmer's house [with a] cellar under the whole, walled with hard brick and having a cement floor". It contained a "laundry [area], large cistern, and ample cellar in 2 compartments, one for dairy and other for vegetables... [and had a] front door sheltered by [a] pleasant verandah and [a] front hall [that] directly leads to [the] office, parlor and kitchen". [2] One of the rooms, traditionally used for entertaining, featured a "leaded cut glass window" and a marble-lined fireplace. The house cost $2,500 when it was first built, and a later addition that added a summer kitchen and well-house brought the value of the house to $2,827.07. [3]

The house's first occupant was Thomas J. Burrill, the College of Agriculture Dean who lived there until 1877 and paid around $150 a year in rent. It is named after another occupant, Herbert Mumford, who was also the Dean of the College of Agriculture from 1922 to1938 [4] and lived in the house for almost 33 years. Other famous College of Agriculture deans who called the building home include George Morrow and Eugene Davenport. In 1939 the College of Fine and Applied Arts took the building over and converted it to a studio for artists in residence. [5]

Although no longer standing, three green houses, two stock farm barns, and four houses were also part of the southern agricultural region of campus of the day. The main green house was 70 feet long by 36 feet wide with a seed room for potting new seedlings and a furnace room for warmth in the winter. The two smaller greenhouses were 12 by 35 and 22 by 40 feet, respectively. [6]

The primary stock farm barn was a side hill barn belonging to the Stock and Experimental Farms, and was a large structure with 80 foot North and West faces and 40 foot ell's. It also had a basement with a root cellar and cook room.

There were also four houses in the area that were used as residences for the farm Superintendents, much as the University does with its South Farms today. [7]