Barn Record New Hartford

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Building Name (Common)
Millstream Farm
Building Name (Historic)
Cowles / Smith / Marsh / Pratt Farmstead
Address
741 Steele Road, New Hartford
Typology
Overview

Designations

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1 1/2-story gambrel-roofed barn with two gable-roofed additions and a shed-roofed addition, resulting in a T-shaped structure. The main facade faces roughly east and is parallel to this portion of Steele Road, which runs approximately east-west. The main entry is a pair of exterior sliding doors in the middle of the east gable-facade of the main portion of the barn. Flanking the entry are nine-pane windows with trim. Above the entry is a sliding hay door with the tracks extending to the south. Centered beneath the apex of the roof in the east gable-facade is a nine-pane window with trim. A concrete block masonry base course is beneath the main level window sills and encompasses the entire structure. The south eave-side of the main portion of the barn has a shed-roofed addition extending south from the southeast corner. The rest of the eave-side has a series of stable windows with two Dutch pass-through doors towards the west corner and the south gable-roofed addition. The west gable-end of the barn is identical to the main facade; the main entry is a pair of exterior sliding doors in the middle of the west gable-side of the main portion of the barn. Flanking the entry are nine-pane windows with trim. Above the entry is a sliding hay door with the tracks extending to the north. Centered beneath the apex of the roof in the east gable-facade is a nine-pane window with trim. Extending to the north from the northwest corner of the north eave-side of the barn is a gable-roofed addition. The rest of the north eave-side of the barn has a series of nine-pane windows.

North addition: The north gable-roofed addition extends north from the northwest corner of the barn. The east eave-side of the north addition has a six-pane window closest to the main barn, then what appears to be a set of double doors separated by an exterior concrete block masonry chimney. Further to the north are three overhead garage doors. The west side eave-side of the north addition has a shed-roofed addition, that extends to the west.

South addition: The south gable-roofed addition extends south from the southeast corner of the barn. The addition has a second addition attached to its south gable-end, with a slight change in the roof-line. The first addition has a shed-roofed greenhouse on the east eave-side, the second gable-roofed addition extending south from the south gable-end and is blank on the west eave-side. The second south addition has a series of six-pane window with trim on the east eave-side, a single six-pane window in the main floor of the south gable-end with a vent in the gable attic and two overhead garage doors, the one towards the south corner larger than the other, on the west eave-side.

The barn has vertical novelty siding painted red with green trim. The roof is covered with asphalt shingles and has three metal ventilators atop the ridge. The foundation is concrete block masonry.


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. Novelty or 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.

Field Notes

Listed on the State Register of Historic Places 2/19/2014. 2009, 2011 Barns Grant pre-app.

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 besides and to the west of the c.1812 house it is associated with. the ridge-line of the house is parallel to the ridge-line of the barn. Between the two is a small pond fronting Steele Road and an open yard. To the southwest of the house is another small pond, demarcated partially by stone walls. South of the barn is a large paddock enclosed by a fence, used for horses. West of the barn is a similar paddock for horse. To the south of the house is a large tract of open space. Further south is woodland. The total size of the site is 33.90 acres. The area surrounding the site is scattered residential, open space, light agriculture and woodland. The assessor card states that there are a number of other outbuildings on the site, including 2 chicken coops, a garage, 2 sheds, a pole barn and a gazebo.


MBLU : 028/ 014/ 010/ / /


FGR1 Garage 1056 S.F. 16400
PLT1 Poultry Hse 1 St 460 S.F. 1600
SHD1 Shed - Frame 672 S.F. 4700
BRN8 Pole Barn 3360 S.F. 21800
PLT1 Poultry Hse 1 St 320 S.F. 1100
SHD1 Shed - Frame 768 S.F. 5400
BRN1 Barn 1 Story 736 S.F. 7500
SHP2 Work Shop w/Impvmt 432 S.F 13600
GAZ1 Gazebo 76 S.F. 700

Typology & Materials

Building Typology

Materials


Structural System

Roof materials


Roof type


Approximate Dimensions

6000 s.f.

Source

Date Compiled

11/22/2010

Compiled By

Todd Levine, reviewed by the Connecticut Trust

Sources

Photographs by Caren Ross.

Map of New Hartford, CT, retrieved on November 22, 2010 from website 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.

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

PhotosClick on image to view full file