Rev. John Ely House / Barn (54 Milwaukee Avenue, Bethel (Western Uplands))

Designations

National Register

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 2 ½ - story barn with entries from both the eave-side and the gable-end and a shed-roof addition encompassing the entire length of its north eave-side. The barn appears to be three-bay with the first bay from the east an addition to the original two-bay bay. The ridge line of the barn runs east-west, almost parallel to Milwaukee Avenue but at an angle to Kayview Avenue, which arcs from the southwest to the northeast. The three-bay south eave-side of the barn facing Milwaukee Avenue is the main façade with two main entrances, through two pairs of hinged wagon doors with blacksmith hardware; one pair each in the first and the second bay from the west. The two main entrances have relatively higher floor level than the third bay and are accessed by a gradual ramp. The first bay from the east has a nine-pane paneled hinged pass-through door accessed by the low grade level. The pass-through door is flanked by a double six-over-one double-hung sash window on its east while a six-pane window can be seen towards the west. The second floor level of the main south eave-façade of the barn has to six-pane windows in the first bay from the east and a third six-pane window centered above the main entrance in the middle bay. All the windows on the main south eave-façade have planters at the sill level supported by brackets. The west gable-end of the barn is blank with a distinct dropped girt siding divide line separating the gable attic which is lined by cornice board. The west side-wall of the shed-roof addition on the north eave-side is flush with the west gable-end of the main barn and has an entrance through a pair of hinged wagon doors with blacksmith hardware. The gable roof of the barn has a louvered cupola centered along the ridge line.

The wooden frame of the barn has asphalt shingles roofing and red painted vertical siding on the main south eave-façade while red painted flush board can be seen on the west gable-end.

Historical significance:

Until the 1830s, the horses used for riding and driving carriages were often kept in the main barn along with the other farm animals. By the 1850s, some New England farmers built separate horse stables and carriage houses. Early carriage houses were built just to shelter a carriage and perhaps a sleigh, but no horses. The pre-cursor to the twentieth-century garage, these outbuildings are distinguished by their large hinged doors, few windows, and proximity to the dooryard.
The combined horse stable and carriage house continued to be a common farm building through the second half of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth century, until automobiles became common. Elaborate carriage houses were also associated with gentlemen farms and country estates of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Another form of carriage barn, the urban livery stable, served the needs of tradespeople.

Field Notes

Bethel Barn 1791 house 1850 = saw mill Saltbox addition 1994-95, Horses and carriage house Bethel zoning is a problem for allowing re-use, Scribe rule, Board and batten on addition, Originally 25 by 25, Then 25 by 42, Finally (saltbox garage) 39 by 42 National Register No. 01000400 In addition to the house, the nominated property includes a small postand- beam framed, board-sided barn (Photograph 10) measuring approximately 22' by 42' in plan. The barn has been altered with the addition of cupolas, window boxes, and a lean-to across the back, but it retains its 19th-century character in its form and exterior material and therefore is counted as a contributing building (Clouette, Section 7).

Use (Historic)

carriage barn

Use (Present)

storage

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

1

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Original Site

Related features

Environment features

Relationship to surroundings

The 0.82 acres parcel, Account Number: R04077 and Map-block-lot number: 9 64 40, is a corner plot located towards the north of Milwaukee Avenue and the east of Kayview Avenue, which arcs from the southwest to the northeast. The property is situated in a pre-dominantly residential area with individual plots separated by woodland. Residential plots can be seen towards the north, east, south and the west across the roads in respective directions.

The barn is located along the eastern edge of the property, offset from the road. The ridge line of the barn runs east-west, almost parallel to Milwaukee Avenue but at an angle to Kayview Avenue. The circa 1792 old style main residence of the property is located towards the southwest of the barn, abutting to Milwaukee Avenue. The property is accessed by a driveway from the southeast corner of the property which continues towards the northwest approaching the barn and finally exits on Kayview Avenue, towards the north of the main residence. The area towards the north and the west of the barn is a garden with open land at the center and trees along the fringes.

Building Typology

Materials

Structural System

Post & Beam

Roof materials

Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

Approximate Dimensions

Barn: 23X43 Sqft, Circa 1934; Barn: 14X42 Sqft, Circa 1995;

Date Compiled

06/13/2011

Compiled By

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

Sources

Field notes and photographs provided by: Todd Levine, 01/24/2007.

Assessors’ records retrieved on June 13th, 2011 from website http://bethel.univers-clt.com/

GIS Map/ information retrieved on June 13th, 2011 from website http://hosting.tighebond.com/bethelct/main.htm

Photograph/Information retrieved on June 13th, 2011 from website http://www.google.com

Photograph/Information retrieved on June 13th, 2011 from website http://www.bing.com.

Photograph/Information retrieved on June 13th, 2011 from website http://www.zillow.com.

Clouette, Bruce, Rev. John Ely House National Register Nomination No. 01000400, National Park Service, 2001.

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.

Historic Barns of Connecticut

Barn Record Bethel