The University of Illinois Experimental Dairy Farm Historic District, also known as South Farm, is a designated historic district in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is located on the campus of the University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois. The district consists of eight contributing structures and several non-contributing structures. The district was designated in 1994 when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Multiple Property Submission concerning Round Barns in Illinois. Three of the district's buildings are early 20th century round barns constructed between 1908 and 1912. The district covers a total area of . History The Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Illinois (U of I) was formed in 1888, one year after the Hatch Act provided federal funds. After its initial establishment U of I's College of Agriculture began to grow and it was divided into three distinct components: classroom instruction at U of I, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and a statewide extension service. In 1899 Eugene Davenport replaced George E. Morrow as Dean of the College of Agriculture, and Davenport immediately reorganized the college into four departments: agronomy, animal husbandry, dairy husbandry, and horticulture. The Experiment Station was originally established to "administer research activities within the College." The Department of Dairy Husbandry, seeking to increase milk productivity by promoting efficiency, prompted the Experiment Station to construct the Experimental Dairy Farm at an area known as South Farms. The layout and design incorporated three round barns. Experimental Dairy Farms, in general, were receiving broad support as a way to combat problems within dairy farming. The three round barns in the historic district were the inspiration of Wilbur J. Fraser. Fraser was the first head of the Department of Dairy Husbandry from 1902 - 1913. He was also a strong advocate of the round barn which he said offered the "economy of consideration, low maintenance, and labor efficiency." Fraser asserted that round barns had a better ability to withstand Midwest windstorms as well. Fraser became the first Chief of Dairy Husbandry at the Agricultural Experiment Station in 1908. His colleague, H.C. Crouch, left New England at the same time to accept the position of manager at the U of I Experimental Dairy Farm. Fraser spent the summer of 1908 in Europe, visiting the Great Britain, the Netherlands and Denmark. While there, he took opportunity to learn techniques from local farmers