The sound and smell of cows, sheep, pigs and array of other farm animals can be found just west of campus in a single historic building. The building is Plumb Hall, named after the former head of the animal husbandry department, Charles Sumner Plumb.
Plumb Hall became the official name of the Animal Husbandry Building following his death. The Ohio State Board of Trustees approved University Architect Joseph N. Bradford’s plans and began construction.
The building was erected in 1925 by D.W. McGrath and Sons Construction Company.
Plumb Hall is used today by the department of animal sciences, and is located across the Olentangy River. The building is a combined administration building and teaching laboratory equipped with a meat cutting lab, judging arena that seats 750 people, livestock classrooms, nutrition lab and a small animal lab.
The three-story building has a reinforced concrete frame with a stucco interior. The roof is made of steel, laytite asphalt and shingles, and covers approximately 27,563 square feet.
The cost of the building in 1926 was $191,910.40. In 1959 an extensive renovation of Plumb Hall cost the university $509,927.89, which included the construction the Animal Science Building.
Plumb, a faculty member for 35 years, was a well respected writer in his field.
He resigned from his position at the university to do research in the field of animal husbandry. He wrote multiple studies on farm animals that are still considered essential texts within animal husbandry, the practice of cultivating crops, and breeding and raising livestock.
He went on to get honorary degrees at Purdue University, Massachusetts Agricultural College and OSU.
Plumb was a victim of a hit and run accident in which he suffered internal injuries, a broken leg and serious damage to the head. After his accident he wrote about his recovery and traveled to both England and Scotland to study the sheep industry.
Plumb died in 1939 and bequeathed the Library of Animal Husbandry to OSU and also a permanent traveling fellowship for the department.
