Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is 1 1/2 story gable entry barn with a shed-roofed wrap-around addition. The main facade faces southeast, with its ridge-line parallel to North Main Street, which runs approximately northwest-southeast. The main entry is a pair of pass-through doors on the south side of the gable facade. The north side of the facade has a shed-roofed addition, open to the south, which wraps around the northeast eave-facade. Centered in the gable attic of the southeast facade is a double hung, six-over-six window. The northeast eave-facade is completely encompassed by the shed-roofed addition. The southeast eave-facade two window openings (one in the center and one towards the south corner) and two small hay doors (one in the center and one towards the west corner). Beneath the middle hay door appears to be a pass-through door. Both the middle pass-trough door and hay doors have black-smithed hardware. The northwest gable-facade is blank except of a double hung, six-over-six window in the gable attic. The barn is clad in unpainted wood shingles. The roof has projecting overhangs with soffits and asphalt shingles. The structure sits on a mortared field-stone foundation

Historical significance:

The New England barn or gable front barn was 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.

Field Notes

This barn (circa 1850) is not visible from the road and not accessible for the public. It is located in a residential neighborhood. It has vertical siding covered with wood shingles. It has a fieldstone foundation in excellent condition. It has an asphalt shingle roof in excellent condition. Currently used for storage of various items.

Use (Historic)

• agriculture

Use (Present)

• storage

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Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn

Environment features

• Residential

Relationship to surroundings

The barn is set directly in front and to the northeast of the house that it is associated with, although the barn is much older than the house (the house was built in 1999). The area is residential and the lot is accessed from a long driveway and is set behind the houses directly on North Main Street. Behind the house to the southwest is woodland.

Building Typology

• New England

Materials

• Wood Shingle

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Structural System

n/a

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

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Roof type

• Gable

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Approximate Dimensions

780 S.F

Date Compiled

07/14/2010

Compiled By

Todd Levine, reviewed by the Connecticut Trust

Sources

Photographs and field notes by Frank Hall: fhall02@yahoo.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.

Vision Appraisal Online Database. www.visionappraisal.com/essexct.