History of Farm House Museum
Across campus, the Farm House was evolving into a University museum. Built in 1860, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965 as the Knapp-Wilson House, associated with Seaman A. Knapp, author of the Hatch Act of 1887, and James F. “Tama Jim” Wilson, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
Despite its landmark status, the Farm House was considered for demolition in 1970 to make way for new academic buildings due to its central location. However, in anticipation of the Bicentennial, a nationwide preservation movement emerged, and the university recognized the house’s value and formed a committee in 1971 to preserve it.
The restoration process lasted from April 1971 to June 1976, stabilizing the exterior and restoring and reconstructing the interior. Building a museum collection proved challenging due to limited documentation, so objects from 1860 to 1910 were selected to reflect the period covered by the landmark designation.
Alumni and friends contributed objects for the collection, many following the restoration through university publications. The Farm House Museum opened on July 4, 1976, as Iowa State’s Bicentennial contribution, completing its transformation from a college farm residence that had housed seventeen families and more than 115 residents into a campus museum.
