The Big Red Barn

The Big Red Barn, built during the 1870s, was originally the carriage house for the Cornell President’s house. Alumni renovated the barn in the 1950s for a social center, and during the 1980s the Department of Unions and Activities operated a luncheon service and rented the Barn for activities and events. In 1988, The Henry opened in Sage Hall (formally a graduate dorm building) in response to graduate student’s need for a central campus meeting location to hold activities. The Henry Steering Committee, which spearheaded the induction of the Henry, made sure that the Henry was available to students free of charge. When the Barn closed in 1989, the Henry Steering Committee submitted a proposal to the university to move the graduate center to the Big Red Barn. In December 1990, the plan was approved and construction began to renovate the barn to have a reorganized floor plan, a second floor mezzanine, a new kitchen and restrooms, and new mechanical systems, all while preserving much of the Barn’s rustic charm. The Big Red Barn opened as the Center for Graduate and Professional students on February 1992 and is now the epicenter for graduate and professional student events and activities.