Barn Record East Lyme

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Building Name (Common)
n/a
Building Name (Historic)
n/a
Address
31 Dean Road, East Lyme
Typology
Overview

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural Description:

This is a 2 1/2 story gable-entry gothic-roof barn with a gable-roof addition on its northern eave-façade and a wooden stave silo towards its north-west corner. The northern eave-façade of the barn faces Dean Road while the ridge-line runs east-west parallel to the road. The main façade of the barn is the eastern gable-façade with the main entrance at the center through a paneled wagon door flanked in between two pairs of six-pane vertical stable windows. Two hinged hay doors can be seen above the two pairs of six-pane windows at the second floor level. A huge vertical sliding hay door can be seen centered in the gable attic with the apex of the roof projecting out to form a hay hood. Plastered cement masonry foundation can be seen near the grade level of the façade. The northern eave-façade of the barn has a gable-roof addition towards the east and a silo towards the west which is connected to the main barn by a covered passage. The façade has a six-pane vertical window towards the east of the gable-roof addition and seven equally spaced six-pane stable windows towards the west. The northern gable-façade of the gable-roof addition has two pairs of one-over-one double-hung sash windows. The western gable-façade of the barn is similar to the eastern gable-façade with a main wagon door entrance at the center flanked by a pair of six-pane stable windows on either side. The façade has a huge hay door at the center of the gable attic, in-between two six-pane stable windows at the second floor level. The southern eave-façade of the barn has a row of sixteen equally spaced six-pane vertical stable windows at the first floor level. The gothic-roof of the barn with flared eaves has two metal chimneys, one each towards each gable-end.
The wooden frame of the barn is supported on plastered cement masonry foundation. The barn has white vinyl siding walls and asphalt shingle roofing.

Historical Significance:

By the early 20th century agricultural engineers developed a new approach to dairy barn design: the ground-level stable barn, to reduce the spread of tuberculosis bacteria by improving ventilation, lighting, and reducing the airborne dust of manure. A concrete slab typically serves as the floor for the cow stables. Many farmers converted manure basements in older barns into ground-level stables with concrete floors. Some older barns were jacked up and set on new first stories to allow sufficient headroom. With the stables occupying the entire first story, the space above serves a a hayloft. By the 1920s most ground-level stable barns were being constructed with lightweight balloon frames using two-by-fours or two-by-sixes for most of the timbers. Tongue-and-groove beveled siding is common on the walls, although asbestos cement shingles also were a popular sheathing. Some barns have concrete for the first-story walls, either poured in place or built up out of blocks. The gambrel roof design was universally accepted as it enclosed a much greater volume than a gable roof did, and its shape could be formed with trusses. Also see entry for Pole Barn.

Field Notes

Next to Nathan Hale Drive. Address is approximate.

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 property is towards the south of Dean Road in a pre-dominantly rural area. The fenced property is separated from the surrounding residential areas by wood land. Dense woodland can also be seen towards the south-east of the property.

The barn is towards the north-western corner of the property nearer to Dean Road. A wooden stave silo can be seen towards the north-west of the barn. The main residence of the property is situated towards the south-east of the barn, separated by a driveway. A small gable-roof shed can be seen towards the south-east of the main residence. The property also includes a gable-roof shed and two shed-roof structures towards further south-east of the barn.

Typology & Materials

Building Typology

Materials


Structural System

Roof materials


Roof type


Approximate Dimensions

Garage – 1100 SqFt, Barn – 2664 SqFt, Silo – 420 Dia X Ht, Shed 1 – 360 SqFt, Shed 2 - 100SqFt, Shed 3 – 68 SqFt, Shed 4 – 1430 SqFt

Source

Date Compiled

07/20/2010

Compiled By

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

Sources

Photographs and information provided by –
Joan Rich, Lymening@sbcglobal.net

Additional photographs provided by: S Lessard, CT Trust

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.

PhotosClick on image to view full file