100 Years of Service: Annex #5 Past and Present

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 8, 2012) — It's a building you've probably passed if you spend any time on south campus here at UK. On the outside, it looks like just another home for campus administration — plain and rectangular, brick, with clear signs of past renovations.

Even its official name doesn't tell you much. But Medical Annex #5, located on University Drive just behind the UK HealthCare medical complex, has a much richer history than its name or appearance belies.

Built in 1912 for just $12,000, the building was originally part of the UK College of Agriculture. At the time, many local farmers were losing their hogs to cholera, a highly contagious disease that caused death in as little as two weeks. The building became known as the Serum Laboratory and housed a hog cholera serum testing lab, with the goal of allowing the university to provide all farmers across Kentucky a serum to significantly reduce the hog cholera epidemic.

The Serum Laboratory functioned as such for the next 30 years, until World War II. The Army took control over the Animal Pathology Department, and when that building was released back to UK for use in 1945, the Serum Laboratory became available for remodeling. 

Later that year, the laboratory received a $25,000 remodeling with an addition built on to suit another purpose — it became an abattoir, also known as a slaughterhouse. The building was equipped with slaughter and curing rooms, refrigerators, a salesroom, labs, freezer lockers and offices.

Here, UK's meat-cutting team practiced their craft in the abattoir, learning to properly butcher meat for regional and national competitions. To prevent waste, the cuts of meat were then made available for sale to the public. As courses in meats instruction became more in demand, the abattoir allowed UK to expand its course offerings from two to five. All courses were taught by professor Edward J. Wilford.

When Wilford died in 1952, UK President Herman Donovan renamed the meat lab in honor of the professor, and for a time it became known as the Edward J. Wilford Meats Laboratory.

As the campus evolved, and UK began building its health care complex, Annex #5 evolved with it. In the '70s, it officially became part of the medical complex and was renamed. For years, it served the health care professionals at UK — first as some storage and office space for the dental school, then as a machine shop for the College of Medicine, then as a venue for CPR training.

A decade later, Dr. Donald Frazier began a campaign to use the building to create something new. As the chair of the Department of Physiology, he understood the need for a center on campus that could provide health and science training for Kentucky kids who were interested in pursuing medical careers. He decided that Annex #5 was the perfect venue to pursue.

"In the late '80s, I was looking for a place to host the Outreach Center and this was a prime location," Frazier said. "We had the dorms and towers on one side, and the medical center on the other. That way, we could have programs for kids who could stay at the dorms and also have them participate in programs at the College of Medicine and throughout the medical center." 

He got his wish. In 1993, after another major remodel of the building, the Outreach Center for Health and Science Opportunities opened its doors, with Frazier serving as its director.

Walking through, you can still see telltale signs of the building's former life. The walls of the former abattoir are extra-thick. One office contains a large concrete block that was used to render fat from meat. The dock in the back, once open for deliveries, has been closed off for storage.

These days, Annex #5 is home to a variety of health and science teaching aids. Incoming students can see how a polygraph works, observe a demonstration on how the systems of the body work together, and even hold real human organs in their hands. It's all part of Frazier's hands-on style of learning.

Since it opened nearly 30 years ago, the Outreach Center has helped educate tens of thousands of Kentucky kids about the world of science and has facilitated the progress of young people toward health-related careers including biomedical research.

As one of the oldest buildings now on campus, Annex #5 has its quirks. It doesn't have central air, or a fire escape from the second floor. Frazier notes that the building was considered an eyesore during the construction of the William T. Young Library and has been "on the list for demolition" for nearly 25 years.

However, as Annex #5 celebrates 100 years of service, Frazier, now professor emeritus in the College of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, hopes it stays around to help educate young Kentuckians for many years to come.

"I think it's such a neat, quaint building," Frazier said. "And everything in this building is for the kids. It's priceless for the service it provides, and that's why we're celebrating it."

MEDIA CONTACT: Allison Perry, (859) 323-2399 or allison.perry@uky.edu.