Building Name (Common)
Cherry Tree FarmBuilding Name (Historic)
Abram Carrington / Cherry Tree FarmAddress
144 Bethmour RoadBethany
Typology
Historic Significance
Architectural description:
This is a 2-story gambrel-roofed ground floor stable barn. The main facade faces west and the ridge-line of the barn is parallel to this portion of Bethmour Road, which runs approximately north-south. The west eave-facade of the barn has a series of twelve four-pane windows with trim along the main level with an exterior sliding pass-through in the center. In the lower pitch of the double-pitch gambrel roof are the words "CHERRY TREE FARM" in large white letters apparently painted directly on the roof shingles. Mortared field-stone foundation is evident on this facade. The north gable-end of the barn appears to have a pass-through door flanked by a window in each side in the main level. Centered above the door is a sliding hay door. In the second level appears to be a larger pair of hay doors. The roof has a projecting hay hood on the north gable-end. The east eave-side of the barn is mostly encompassed by additions; towards the north corner is a small gable-roofed addition, towards the center are two attached poured concrete silos by gable-roofed enclosures and towards the south corner is a gable-roofed barn structure. The south gable-end of the barn has a shed-roofed addition with a deep porch extending south. The barn has horizontal novelty board painted white. The roof has a projecting overhang, exposed rafter tails and is covered with wood shingles. Atop the ridge of the roof re two equally spaced metal ventilators. The gable-roofed addition has a single metal ventilator.
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
Third generation of farmers at this farm