Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a two-barn complex comprising of a 2 ½- story gable-entry barn with its east eave-side intersected by a 2 ½ - story gambrel-roof barn at the center. The south gable-end of the gable-roof barn flush with the south eave-side of the intersecting gambrel-roof barn faces Whisconier Road. The ridge line of the gable-roof barn runs north-south perpendicular to this portion of the road while that of the intersecting gambrel-roof barn runs east-west. The east gable-end of the intersecting gambrel-roof barn appears to be the main façade of the complex with the main entrance off-centered towards the north through a wagon door entrance. The façade has two secondary entrances; one each on either side of the main entrance through a pair of X-braced hinged pass-through doors with continuous lintel trim. The façade has a continuous band just below the lintel level towards the south of the pass-through doors separating the second floor level. The gable attic is separated from the rest of the façade by a distinct girt siding divide line that drops towards the south. Five windows with eight-pane modules can be seen closely spaced at the center of the gable attic while a while a small square window can seen towards the south near the eave. The facade has a louvered vent just below the apex of the roof which appears to have a projecting hay track. The south eave-side of the intersecting gambrel-roof barn has an entrance at the center through a X-braced hinged pass-through door with lintel trim and a square X-braced window with trim towards the east. A hinged hay door flanked by a window on its west can be seen at the second floor level towards the west, just below the eave-level. The south gable-end of the gable-roof barn flush with the intersecting gambrel-roof barn has an entrance at the center through a hinged X-braced pass-through door at the center flanked by a square X-braced window with lintel trim on either side. The south gable-end has a continuous trim at the lintel level of the pass-through door separating the second floor level. The second floor level of the south gable-end of the barn has a six-over-one double-hung sash window off-centered towards the east flanked by a hay door on its east. The gable attic lined by deep soffit is separated from the rest of the gable-end by a distinct dropped girt siding divide line and has a louvered vent just below the apex of the roof. The gable-roof of the barn complex has an ornate cupola with a mast at the center and two louvered arches on each side.

The wooden frame of the barn complex appears to be supported on un-coursed field stone masonry foundation. The barn complex has asphalt shingle roofing and red painted vertical siding walls. 

Historical significance:

The New England barn or gable front barn is the successor to the English barn and relies on a gable entry rather than an entry under the eaves. The gable front offers many practical advantages. Roofs drain off the side, rather than flooding the dooryard. With the main drive floor running parallel to the ridge, the size of the barn could be increased to accommodate larger herds by adding additional bays to the rear gable end. Although it was seen by many as an improvement over the earlier side entry English Barn, the New England barn did not replace its predecessor but rather coexisted with it as both types continued to be constructed.
The gambrel roof enclosed a much greater volume than a gable roof did, and its shape could be formed with trusses that did not require cross beams, which would interfere with the movement and storage of hay. Also known as the curb roof, the double slopes of the gambrel offer more volume in the hayloft without increasing the height of the side walls.

Field Notes

30-acre parcel with late 20th c. house up the hill beyond 3,000 sq. ft. barn which is at the street line. Source: Brookfield Assessor's Records.

Use (Historic)

• agriculture

Use (Present)

• unknown

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn
• Cupola
• Garden
• Other
• Shed

Environment features

• Open Land
• Residential
• Rural
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

The 30.10 acres property, Account number – 05642000 and Map and lot number - H15/ / 001/ /, is located towards the north of Whisconier Road. The property is located in a predominantly residential area with individual plots separated by woodland and farmland. Residential plots flank the property towards the east, west and the south across the road while the area towards the northeast and the northwest is covered by dense woodland.

The barn with the intersecting gable roofs is located along the southern edge of the property abutting to Whisconier Road. The ridge line of the main barn runs almost north-south, perpendicular to this portion of the road while that of the intersecting arm runs east-west. A medium size pond can be seen towards the north of the barn while another smaller pond is located towards its northeast. The circa 1980 contemporary main residence of the property is located towards further north accessed by a meandering driveway towards he east of the barn. A garden with terraced landscaping can be seen towards the south of the main residence while open land dotted by Christmas trees can be seen towards the north. Two gable-roof sheds can be seen towards the northwest of the main residence while a tennis court is located towards the west. 

Building Typology

• Gambrel
• New England

Materials

• Fieldstone
• Vertical Siding

Structural System

• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Gable
• Gambrel

Approximate Dimensions

Barn: 3000 SqFt; Shed: 120 SqFt; Shed: 192 SqFt; Indoor Pool: 544 SqFt; Tennis Court: 1 unit;

Date Compiled

05/11/2011

Compiled By

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

Sources

Field notes and photographs provided by: Charlotte Hitchcock, 05/12/2008.

Assessors’ information retrieved on May 11th, 2011 from website http://data.visionappraisal.com/BrookfieldCT/

Photograph/Information retrieved on May 11th, 2011 from website http://www.google.com

Photograph/Information retrieved on May 11th, 2011 from website http://www.bing.com.

Photograph/Information retrieved on May 11th, 2011 from website http://www.zillow.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.