The Iowa State University campus contains over 160 buildings, several of which are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
[It's a Fact: Iowa State University](_blank)
. Iowa State University website. Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
's campus, specifically its Central Campus, has been recognized as one of the nation's most beautiful and was listed as a "medallion site" by the
American Society of Landscape Architects
The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is a professional association for landscape architects in the United States. The ASLA's mission is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education, and fellowship ...
in 1999.
Campus
Iowa State's main campus features 490 acres of trees, plants and classically designed buildings. The concept of an open central campus encircled by buildings, was the vision of Iowa State's first president,
Adonijah Welch
Adonijah Strong Welch (April 12, 1821March 14, 1889) was a United States Senator from Florida and the first president of Iowa State Agricultural College (now Iowa State University). Welch also served as Michigan State Normal School's first princi ...
. The campus is dominated by a large 20 acre central lawn known as Central Campus. Along with the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
and
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
, ISU's central campus was listed as a "medallion site" by the
American Society of Landscape Architects
The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is a professional association for landscape architects in the United States. The ASLA's mission is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education, and fellowship ...
in 1999. It was listed as one of 25 most beautiful sites in the United States in the book ''The Campus as a Work of Art''.
Fountain of Four Seasons
The fountain was sculpted by Christian Petersen in 1941 after a request from Iowa State President
Charles Friley. The previous fountain was a vertical water tower on which students would place
toilet seat
A toilet seat is a hinged unit consisting of a round or oval open seat, and usually a lid, which is bolted onto the bowl of a toilet used in a sitting position (as opposed to a squat toilet). The seat can be either for a flush toilet or a dry toi ...
s. President Friley hoped that with a new, beautiful fountain, students would no longer make jokes of it.
Lake LaVerne
Named for Dr. LaVerne W. Noyes, who also donated the funds to see that
Alumni Hall could be completed after sitting unfinished and unused from 1905 to 1907. Dr. Noyes is an 1872 alumnus. Lake LaVerne is located west of the
Memorial Union and south of
Alumni Hall,
Carver Hall, and
Music Hall
Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...
. The lake was a gift from Dr. Noyes in 1916.
Lake LaVerne is the home of two
mute swan
The mute swan (''Cygnus olor'') is a species of swan and a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is native to much of Eurosiberia, and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home ...
s named Sir Lancelot and Elaine, donated to Iowa State by
VEISHEA
VEISHEA (pronounced "VEE-sha") was an annual week-long celebration held each spring on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The celebration featured a parade and many open-house demonstrations of the university facilities and depar ...
1935. In 1944, 1970, and 1971
cygnets (baby swans) made their home on Lake LaVerne. Previously Sir Lancelot and Elaine were
trumpeter swan
The trumpeter swan (''Cygnus buccinator'') is a species of swan found in North America. The heaviest living bird native to North America, it is also the largest extant species of waterfowl, with a wingspan of 185 to 250 cm (6 ft 2 in to 8 ft 2 ...
s but were too aggressive and in 1999 were replaced with two mute swans. In early 2002 Sir Lancelot suffered a broken foot from chasing a campus lawnmower. Sir Lancelot underwent surgery at Iowa State's College of Veterinary Medicine, but after months of physical therapy efforts in returning him to Lake LaVerne were unsuccessful. Early spring 2003 Lake LaVerne welcomed is new and current mute swan duo. However, in support of DNR efforts to re-establish the trumpeter swans in Iowa, university officials avoided bringing breeding pairs of male and female mute swans to Iowa State which means the current Sir Lancelot and Elaine are both female.
Marston Water Tower
Iowa State is the home of the first elevated steel water tank west of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
. Named the Marston Water Tower, it was erected in 1897 under the supervision and design of Anson Marston and his assistant
Elmina Wilson.
The water tower was constructed due to a severe water shortage in 1895 that forced cancellation of classes. In 1978, the water tower was disconnected when the university switched to municipal water. It was listed in the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
on May 27, 1982 and restored in 1987.
The water tower stands 168 feet (51 m) tall on an
octagon
In geometry, an octagon (from the Greek ὀκτάγωνον ''oktágōnon'', "eight angles") is an eight-sided polygon or 8-gon.
A '' regular octagon'' has Schläfli symbol and can also be constructed as a quasiregular truncated square, t, whi ...
al base. The tank holds 162,000 US gallons (613 m
3) and is 24 feet (7 m) in diameter and 40 feet (12 m) tall. When full, the ~72,400 cubic feet (2,050 m
3) of water would weigh 2,050 t.
Reiman Gardens
Roy Reiman is a 1957 graduate of Iowa State in agriculture journalism and he is the founder of Reiman Publications. The Reiman Gardens are named for Roy and his wife Bobbi who donated $1.3 million to begin their development. Located south of
Jack Trice Stadium
Jack Trice Stadium (originally Cyclone Stadium and formerly Jack Trice Field, sometimes referred to as "the Jack") is a stadium located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Primarily used for college football, it is the home field of the Iowa State Cyc ...
. Opened in 1995, the gardens have grown to become the largest public garden in the state. The popular Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing was opened in November 2002.
Veenker Memorial Golf Course
Named for George F. Veenker, head football coach at Iowa State from 1931 to 1936. He was also Athletic Director from 1933 until 1945. The golf course was completed in 1938 and given its current name in 1959.
Research farm
The Western Iowa Experimental Farm is to be found in
Castana.
Current buildings
This is an incomplete listing of buildings at
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
. Click on the building title for additional building information.
Past buildings
Timeline
Facilities
The Iowa State University/Ames
YWCA
The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries.
The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...
is on the campus grounds, at the Knapp-Storms Commons.
The Ames-ISU Student
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...
used to be in the Lab of Mechanics, Room 109. The chapter was established in 1887. It became affiliated with the national YMCA in 1900. Originally in Alumni Hall, it moved to Room 109 in 1993.
References
{{Coord, 42, 01, 35, N, 93, 38, 47, W, format=dms, display=title, name=Iowa State University, type:edu_region:US-IA
Iowa State University buildings and structures
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...