Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

• National Historic Landmark

Historic Significance

n/a

Field Notes

Also See: Hill-Stead Museum Hay Barn (1/3)- http://www.connecticutbarns.org/index.cgi/8110 Hill-Stead Museum Horse Barn (2/3)- http://www.connecticutbarns.org/index.cgi/8093 Ransom David, Hill-Stead, National Register Nomination Number- 91002056 NRIS, National Park Service, 1991. Alfred A. Pope barn, 1901 http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/91002056.pdf http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Photos/91002056.pdf Alfred A. Pope barn, 1901 Red barn built at Hill-Stead, designed by Pope's daughter, Theodate, and built by Richard F. Jones. The bank barn, older than the red barn next to it, was built into a hillside slope. Commentary in an unidentified 1907 newspaper reported, "The 300 acre Pope estate supports a dozen horses, thirty sheep, 25 registered Guernseys...golf links, a sunken garden, an extensive vegetable garden, swine, apple and peach orchards, dairy buildings and silos." Hill-Stead Farm was especially famous for its prize-winning Guernsey, Anaesthesia's Faith (1919-1928), who was bred at Hill-Sted and was a world record holder producing 19,471 pounds of milk in a year, as well as 1,112 pounds of butterfat. Anaesthesia's Faith eventually spent time at Tillotson Farm on Town Farm Road. From an article by George Bragdon, Hartford Times, Nov. 15, 1958: In the flat river meadows near the ruins of the canal aqueduct, Theodate Pope Riddle would often go watch her flock of 300 sheep as they were driven homeward. In addition to her interest in sheep, Theodate was well known in cattle-breeding circles for her promotion of the Guernsey breed. Her father, Alfred A. Pope, established a Guernsey herd when he bought three cows as foundation stock from fellow townsman Charles J. Thompson, a charter member of the local Guernsey Club. While running her estate and farm, Theodate began buying up additional land and properties north and west of the Farmington River until she owned 3,000 acres. Among the properties acquired was the farm and home of father and son, Hezekiah and Edwin Tillotson, on (what is now) Town Farm Road. In the 1930s the Hill-Stead dairy barn was destroyed by fire. The herd was moved across the river to a big red barn Theodate built on the Tillotson place. It still stands today. Note dovecote in gable peak. Theodate P. Riddle used it as a theatre, and many Farmingtonians saw their first silent movies there. Door transom windows and "Z" bracing on Hill-Stead's Make-shift Theatre barn.

Use (Historic)

• unknown

Use (Present)

• unknown

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Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

n/a

Environment features

Relationship to surroundings

The property is situated on Route 4, very near to the Interstate 84 Farmington exit. It stands as a highly visible landmark at the ‘gateway’ into historic Farmington and speaks of the area’s agrarian past. Surrounded by former pasture lands and an apple orchard, they are a short distance from the Pope-Riddle House and Carriage Barn where visitors are greeted and collections are housed.

The barn is part of a three barn complex arranged in a U-shaped layout, opening to Hill-Stead Museum Road towards west. The barn forms one arm of the U-shaped barn complex with a 1 ½ story gable-roof horse barn with perpendicular ridgeline forming the base [http://www.connecticutbarns.org/index.cgi/8093]. The other arm of the U-shaped barn complex is formed by a 2 ½ story gambrel-roof hay towards the south [http://www.connecticutbarns.org/index.cgi/8110]. The barn complex with the three barns is an integral part of the Hill-Stead Country Place estate.

The barn precinct includes a 1901 colonial-revival style house designed by architect Theodate Pope Riddle, a carriage barn complex with a garage/workshop and a lower farm complex including the U-shaped barn complex, Timothy North Farmhouse and Shepherd’s cottage.

Building Typology

• Carriage House
• English

Materials

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Structural System

n/a

Roof materials

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Roof type

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Approximate Dimensions

n/a

Date Compiled

01/28/2007

Compiled By

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

Sources

Photographs and information provided by –
Cynthia Cormier, Hill-Stead Museum, 35 Mountain Road, Farmington, CT-06032
cormierc@hillstead.org
860-677-4787, 860-677-0174

2008 Barns Grant application

Additional information provided by Charlotte Hitchcock,

Ransom David, Hill-Stead, National Register Nomination Number- 91002056 NRIS, National Park Service, 1991.
http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/91002056.pdf
http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Photos/91002056.pdf

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.