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Historical Information about UC Davis Campus Buildings


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Buildings A – E

Aggie Villa

Completed:1948
Financing:State appropriation
Architect:U.S. Army
History:Aggie Villa, located south of First Street, was made up of war housing units that were acquired from the federal government. The units contained two and three bedroom apartments that provided housing for young families. The complex was razed in 1972.
Aggie Villa, circa 1954.

Ash Hall, Birch Hall, Cedar Hall (A-B-C Dormitories)

Completed:1947
Materials:Wood frame
Cost:Ash Hall ($56,480) Birch Hall ($55,980) Cedar Hall ($55,980)
Financing:State appropriation
Architect:U.S. Army
History:These surplus war housing units, acquired from the federal government, were moved to campus to provide student housing. They were later razed.
Ash Hall, Birch Hall, and Cedar Hall, circa 1948.

Asmundson Hall

Materials:Reinforced concrete
Cost:$1,391,006
Financing:State appropriation
Architect:Donald P. Smith
Dedication:Dedication: On June 23, 1970 the building was named in honor of Vigfus Asmundson (1895-1974), who served as Professor of Poultry Husbandry from 1933-1967.
History:Originally named the Poultry Husbandry Building, it was built for that department. It later housed the Avian Sciences and Plant Sciences Departments. As of 2014, it was home to the Plant Sciences Department
Asmundson Hall, circa 1954.

Bainer Hall

Completed:1966
Materials:Reinforced and precast concrete
Cost:$3,198,000
Financing:State appropriation and Health Education Facilities Act
Architect:Dreyfuss & Blackford
Dedication:In 1969, the building was dedicated to Roy Bainer (1902-1990), who served as Professor of Agricultural Engineering from 1935-1969.
History:Bainer Hall has always been home to the College of Engineering.
Bainer Hall, undated.

The Barn

Completed:1914
Materials:Wood frame
Architect:Cunningham & Politeo
History:Originally built to house beef cattle, this building was remodeled in 1968-1969 into office space for the Architects and Engineers Office. In 2004 the Architects and Engineers Office moved off campus. As of 2014, the building housed the John Muir Institute for the Environment and affiliated programs.
The Barn, circa 1986.

Bike Barn

Completed:1916
Materials:Wood frame
Architect:Office of Architects & Engineers
History:Originally known as TB 24, the building was used as a judging pavilion. It was later occupied by the Bike Barn and Outdoor Adventures. In 2013, Outdoor Adventures moved to the Rec Pool Lodge.
Bike Barn, undated.

Briggs Hall

Completed:1971
Dedication:Briggs Hall was dedicated on May 24, 1975 in honor of Fred N. Briggs (1896-1965), who served as Professor of Agronomy and Dean of the College of Agriculture.
History:The building has housed teaching facilities, research laboratories, and the departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, and Entomology.
Briggs Hall, undated.

Carlson Health Sciences Library

Completed:1976
Dedication:The Regents of the University of California in executive session on June 20, 1980, approved “that the Health Sciences Library, located in Building B of the Medical School Complex, Davis campus, be designated the Loren Daniel Carlson Health Sciences Library.” The renaming ceremony and dedication took place on December 12, 1984. Loren D. Carlson (1915-1972) came to the medical school at Davis in 1966 as assistant dean and chairman of the division of sciences basic to medicine, a post he held concurrently with the chairmanship of the Department of Human Physiology.
History:The beginnings of the Carlson Health Sciences Library date to 1956 when the Veterinary Medicine Library was established in a room next to the Dean’s Office in Haring Hall. The Veterinary Medicine Library became the Health Sciences Library (HSL) in 1966 with the founding of the School of Medicine. (The Medical Center Library was established in 1970 at the UC Davis Medical Center.) In 1967, the HSL moved from its original location in Haring Hall to Surge II. A decade later in 1977, the HSL opened in its current location in Medical Sciences 1B.
Health Sciences Library, June 1979.

Chemistry Building

Completed:1965
Materials:Cast in place and precast reinforced concrete
Cost:$3,647,000
Financing:State appropriation
Architect:John Funk
History:Originally known as Physical Sciences II, this building has always housed the Chemistry Department.
Chemistry Building, undated.

Cowell Student Health Center

Completed:1952
Materials:Concrete and plaster
Cost:$623,700
Financing:State appropriation
Architect:John Funk
Dedication:On May 7, 1967 the center was dedicated to the Cowell Family who had a lime mining and ranching enterprise in Santa Cruz, California.
History:In 1973, the building was named the Cowell Hospital and Student Health Center. The hospital section closed in 1987. The building served as the Student Health Center until 2010 when a new facility was built. As of 2014, it was home to Occupational Health Services.

Cowell Student Health Center Addition

Completed:1966
Cost:$563,782
Financing:Cowell Foundation funds
Architect:John Funk
Cowell Student Health Center, dedication ceremony, 1967.

Cruess Hall

Completed:1952
Materials:Concrete
Cost:$645,662
Financing:State appropriation
Architect:Herbert E. Goodpastor
Dedication:On March 19, 1960 the building was named for William Vere Cruess (1886-1968) who served as Professor of Food Technology at UC Berkeley.
History:Located on California Avenue, this building was constructed specifically for the Food Science and Technology Department. A 1966 addition, built at a cost of $236,373, was designed by Cox, Liske & Associates. In 2010, the Food Science and Technology Department moved to the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science. As of 2014, the building housed the Design Department and the Design Museum.
Cruess Hall, undated.

Dutton Hall

Completed:1998
Cost:$9.8 million
Architect:Ficher and Freidman Associates
Dedication:On October 15, 1999 the building was dedicated to Thomas B. Dutton, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs from 1970-1991.
History:Located on the site formerly occupied by East Hall, this building was built to bring together student services including Financial Aid, Student Aid Accounting, Cashier’s Office, Learning Skills Center, State Employment Center, Outreach Services, and Student Judicial Affairs. As of 2014, the offices located in the building include: the Cashier’s Office, Early Academic Outreach Program, Educational Talent Search, Financial Aid, Mathematics Diagnostic Testing Project, Student Academic Success Center, Student Accounting, Student Employment Center, Student Judicial Affairs, Transfer Reentry Veterans Center, Undergraduate and Prestigious Scholarship Office, and Upward Bound.
Dutton Hall, 2022

East Hall

Completed:1909
Materials:Wood frame
Cost:$13,136
Financing:State appropriation
Architect:Cunningham & Politeo
History:East Hall was built in two parts—the first was a dining hall and the second was the infirmary. The dining hall was later was remodeled into the first campus theater. In 1936, the building was moved from its original location to the present day site of Dutton Hall. Before it was deemed unsafe and vacated in June 1973, the building was home to the CoffeeHouse and several student activities offices. It was razed in1974.
East Hall, circa 1918

Enology Lab

Completed:1939
Materials:Wood, concrete, and stucco
Cost:$73,630
Financing:State appropriation
Architect:William C. Hays
History:The building was built and continuously used for the study and teaching of winemaking. Brandy was also made in the building with the tower used as a brandy still. The Viticulture and Enology Department moved to the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science in 2010.
Enology Lab, undated.

Everson Hall

Completed:1952
Materials:Concrete
Cost:$846,729
Financing:State appropriation
Architect:Clark & Buettler
Dedication:In 1970 the building was dedicated to Gladys J. Everson (1909-1969), who served as Professor of Home Economics from 1953-1967.
History:Originally named the Home Economics Building, it initially housed that department. It later housed offices and laboratories for the departments of Textiles and Clothing and Civil and Environmental Engineering. As of 2014, the building is home to the Art History Department, the Textiles and Clothing Program, and the Mathematics and Science and Teaching Program (MAST).
Everson Hall public dedication, 1953

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