Ag Heritage Park

Ag Heritage Park: Gin Building

The first home of the gin was in a structure on the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station farm complex described as a two story building with its sides and top covered with corrugated iron. As excerpted from Stevenson and Yeager's book, Inside Ag Hill,

This gin house, part of the Experiment Station farm complex built in the area where the President's Mansion would be constructed in 1938, was the first home of the historic gin that is still owned by Auburn. It was installed in 1888, as recorded in the November 12, 1888, report of AAES Director J. S. Newman to President W. L. Broun, which stated: " A 40 saw Pratt gin with feeder and condenser attached and a power press are in position and afford the means of accurate experimentation with cotton." The gin was later moved to the 1932-constructed gin house...on the old Agronomy Farm. That this gin, which incorporates an improvement patented in 1873 (Patent No. 140,791) by Merrill E. Pratt of Prattville, Alabama, may be the only one of its kind in existence is suggested by AU Assistant Professor Angela Lakwete, whose research specialty is the American gin.

The historic cotton gin was manufactured by Continental Gin Corporation of Prattville. Strategically located close to "The Old Rotation", the gin and single bale press were used for many years at Alabama Polytechnic Institute for ginning and baling research cotton.

In order to clear the area and make room for AU's new Poultry Science Building, the gin and press was dismantled in 2003 and stored for later relocation. At that time, the gin was deemed to be in very good condition for its age because it was installed and operated within an enclosed building. Every effort has been made to ensure that the historic value of the antique cotton gin can be preserved for future generations.

As adequate funding is secured and a suitable site identified at Ag Heritage Park, a new Gin Building will be constructed and the gin will be reassembled to become a working reminder of Auburn's agricultural heritage. A possible design which is appropriate to the period in which the gin operated is depicted in the Jack Deloney print below.

Robert Hensarling, Director
Ag Heritage Park, 107 Comer Hall, Auburn University, AL 36849-5401
334-844-3596 (phone) l 334-844-4548 (fax)

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