Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural Description:

This is a complex of six 1 ½ - story gable-entry tobacco sheds towards the east of Laughlin Road. The ridge lines of all the sheds run north-south parallel to the road.

The northern most two-aisle tobacco shed, Shed-I, is towards the east of the main residence. It is followed by a row of three tobacco sheds towards the south; two-aisle Shed-II towards the west, two-aisle eight-bent Shed-III in the middle and the two-aisle sevenbent Shed-IV towards the east. Two other tobacco sheds can be seen towards further south; two-aisle eleven-bay Shed-V towards the south-west and two-aisle six-bay Shed-VI towards the south-east. All the sheds are more or less similar with two main entrances on their south gable-facades through two pairs of Z-braced hinged wagon doors. The tobacco sheds are ventilated through the vertical siding on the eave-sides where every second board is hinged at the top and tilted out at the bottom by means of a horizontal cleat, that lifts many boards at once, and metal prop hooks to hold the boards in place.

The wooden frames of all the six tobacco sheds are supported on concrete footing. The sheds have vertical siding walls and asphalt shingle roofing.

Historical Significance:

The tobacco barn, or shed as it is called in the Connecticut River Valley, is one of the most distinctive of the single-crop barns. They tend to be long, low windowless buildings with pitched roofs. They are characterized by vented sides to regulate air flow and allow harvested tobacco to cure at the appropriate rate.  Derived initially from the design of the English barn, the shed is composed of a fixed skeleton consisting of two- or three-aisle bents repeated at intervals of 15 feet to the desired length. The wood-framed bents sit on piers of stone or concrete and the bents are connected by girts and diagonal braces. Typically there are two doors at each end, making the shed a “drive-through,” although some sheds are accessed through doors on the sides. The interior structural framework serves a second purpose in addition to supporting the walls and roof of the building; it provides a framework for the rails used to hang the tobacco as it cures.

This is accomplished with one of four different systems (more than one method may be utilized in a single shed):

a) Vertical siding in which every second board is hinged at the top and tilted out at the bottom by means of a horizontal cleat, that lifts many boards at once, and metal prop hooks to hold the boards in place;

b) Vertical siding in which alternate boards are hinged along the sides to open like tall narrow doors;

c) Less commonly, horizontal siding in which alternate boards are hinged along the top edge and open like long narrow awnings;

d) A series of large doors along one of the long sides of the building with the other sides of the building vented by one or more of the other methods.

Field Notes

6 barns on east side looking north.

Use (Historic)

• tobacco

Use (Present)

• tobacco

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Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn
• Shed

Environment features

• Active Agriculture
• Open Land
• Residential
• Rural
• Scattered Buildings
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

The 153.4 acres property is towards the east of Laughlin Road in Hazardville Fire District. It is situated in a pre-dominantly residential area of rural character. Farm land with other tobacco sheds can be seen towards the west of the property across the road. The property is separated from the surrounding plots by cluster of trees and woodland. Dense woodland can also be seen towards the east of the property.

The property includes the circa 1845 main residence which is situated towards the north-western edge of the property. Out buildings and few sheds can be seen towards the north, east and south of the main residence. The property includes six tobacco sheds which are scattered in the site. 

The northern most tobacco shed towards the east of the main residence is Shed-I. A row of three tobacco sheds can be seen towards Shed-I; Shed-II towards the west, Shed-III in the middle and Shed-IV towards the east. Two other tobacco sheds can be seen towards the south of the complex; Shed-V towards the south-west and Shed-VI towards the south-east.

Building Typology

• Tobacco Shed

Materials

• Concrete
• Vertical Siding

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Structural System

• Load-bearing Masonry
• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

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Roof type

• Gable

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Approximate Dimensions

n/a

Date Compiled

08/25/2010

Compiled By

T. Levine and M. Patnaik, reviewed by CT Trust

Sources

Photographs and field-notes provided by –
Walt Wojciehowski and Len Warburton

Assessors’ records information retrieved on August 25th, 2010 from website http://www.enfield-ct.gov/

Aerial photograph/Information retrieved on August 25th, 2010 from website http://www.google.com

Sexton, James, PhD; Survey Narrative of the Connecticut Barn, Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, Hamden, CT, 2005, http://www.connecticutbarns.org/history.

Visser, Thomas D.,Field Guide to New England Barns and Farm Buildings, University Press of New England, 1997.