Barn Record Branford

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Building Name (Common)
n/a
Building Name (Historic)
n/a
Address
408 Leetes Island Road, Branford
Typology
Overview

Designations

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1 1/2-story, tripartite, eave-entry barn. The main facade faces roughly southwest and the ridge-line of the barn is perpendicular to this portion of Leetes Island Road, which runs approximately north-south. The main entry is a pair of double-height interior hinged, interior swinging doors with an inset, smaller set of double weather doors in the middle of three bays of the southwest eave-facade. The is a pass-through door at the southeast corner of the southwest eave-facade. the rest of the facade is blank. The un-mortared field-stone foundation is exposed. Both gable-ends are blank except for dropped girt line siding divides and a vertical vent at the south corner of the west gable-end. The north eave-side of the barn is blank except for a pair of interior hinged, interior swinging doors in the middle of three bays. The barn has un-painted vertical flush-board siding. The roof is covered with asphalt shingles. The foundation is un-mortared field-stone.


Historical significance:

The oldest barns still found in the state are called the “English Barn,” “side-entry barn,” “eave entry,” or a 30 x 40. They are simple buildings with rectangular plan, pitched gable roof, and a door or doors located on one or both of the eave sides of the building based on the grain warehouses of the English colonists’ homeland. The name “30 by 40” originates from its size (in feet), which was large enough for 1 family and could service about 100 acres. The multi-purpose use of the English barn is reflected by the building’s construction in three distinct bays - one for each use. The middle bay was used for threshing, which is separating the seed from the stalk in wheat and oat by beating the stalks with a flail. The flanking bays would be for animals and hay storage.

Field Notes

c. 1830 house & barn. 2009 Barns Grant pre-application. Listed as a contributing resource in the Stony Creek--Thimble Islands National Register Historic District and the Hezekiah Palmer House National Register nomination.

Use & Accessibility

Use (Historic)

Use (Present)


Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Environment

Related features

Environment features

Relationship to surroundings

The barn is behind and to the east of the c. 1830 house with which it is associated. The ridge-line of the house is perpendicular to the ridge-line of the barn. The 1 acre site is a corner lot at the intersection of Leetes Island Road (which turns north at this intersection), Stony Creek Road to the west and Thimble Island Road to the south. To the south of the house is the yard. Between the house and the barn is a gable-roofed structure. To the north of the barn is open space. The Stony Creek Cemetery demarcates the east border. The area surrounding the site is residential, open space and woodland.


MBLU : J08/000 003/ 00001/ / /

Typology & Materials

Building Typology

Materials


Structural System

Roof materials


Roof type


Approximate Dimensions

28' X 32'

Source

Date Compiled

12/14/2010

Compiled By

Todd Levine, reviewed by the Connecticut Trust

Sources

Photographs by Eric Bovell and Ted Ells.

Map of Branford, CT, retrieved on December 14, 2010 from website www.bing.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/branfordct.

Loether, J. Paul, National Register of Historic Places Nomination #410651, Stony Creek—Thimble Islands Historic District, 1988. Item No. 88002844 NRIS (National Register Information System)
http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/88002844.pdf
http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Photos/88002844.pdf

Hurd, Robert, National Register of Historic Places Nomination #410459, Hezekiah Palmer House, 1988. Item No. 88002641 NRIS (National Register Information System)
http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/88002641.pdf
http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Photos/88002641.pdf

PhotosClick on image to view full file