Vivarium / Experimental Zoology Laboratory

Designed by James White, [1] the Vivarium began life in 1916 [2] as a 14,600 square foot [3] research laboratory, built at a cost of $76,244.25. [4] The complex consisted of a main two-story building, with two attached greenhouses, connected to a one-story building immediately north of it via a continuation of the first floor hallway. The main building contained storage facilities, a single office, and eight research laboratories. The northern building had twin greenhouses and twin screened houses connected to it, [5] and the eastern section of the property, from the northern face of the main building to the northern face of the secondary building, was enclosed in a wrought-iron fence. The departments of zoology and entomology were the primary occupants of the complex. [6]

In 1933 the building's name was changed to the Experimental Zoology Laboratory, [7] but by 1948 its name had reverted back to the Vivarium again. [8] The building still stands in its original condition today, with the exception of the southeast greenhouse, which has been damaged beyond repair. [9]

In the spring of 1974 the building was encased in scaffolding for a $50,000 reroofing job. [10]