Building Name (Common)
Pellecchia FarmBuilding Name (Historic)
Pellecchia FarmAddress
151 Geer RoadKillingly
Typology
Historic Significance
Architectural description:
This is a 2 1/2-story, Dutch gambrel-roofed, gable-entry bank barn. The main facade faces east and the ridge-line of the barn is perpendicular to this portion of Geer Road, which runs approximately north-south. The main façade has three sliding stall doors with overhead, exterior tracks: one toward the south corner, one in the center and one toward the north corner. The door in the center and the door toward the north corner share an overhead track. Each of the doors contains a window in its upper half and a recessed panel with an X-brace in its lower half. At the second-floor level of the east, gable-end of the barn, there is a wood hay door located in the center, two, six-pane windows in the south half and two, six-pane windows in the north half. There are two openings, currently filled-in, at the attic level of the east, gable-end of the barn: one located close to the south eave of the roof and one near the north eave. Higher in the attic level, centered within the gable peak, there is a hay door opening that provides access to the hay mow; the roof extends out in a triangular hay hood over the door and an exterior hay track is visible beneath the ridge of the roof. The hay door is flanked by two window openings. The window opening to the south of the door has a six-pane sash, while the window opening to the north has no sash.
The grade at the south, eave-side of the barn declines sharply, revealing a basement level. At the first-floor level of the south, eave-side of the barn, there are six pairs of stable windows, spaced evenly across the elevation. Twelve, six-pane windows are located just beneath the roofline of the south, eave-side of the barn; the presence of what appear to be vertical, wooden tracks below the windows suggest that the windows are opened by sliding them down the exterior of the barn. These appear likely to be a modification for poultry.
The west, gable-end of the barn appears to have a door opening at the basement level and two pass-through doors at the first-floor level (one toward and south corner and one toward the north corner). At the second-floor level, there appears to be a double-hung window located toward the north corner; a small, roughly square window opening to the south of that; a door located in the center; a small, roughly square window opening to the south of the door; and a double-hung window toward the south corner. There appear to be two window openings at the attic level: one located close to the south eave of the roof and one near the north eave.
The north, eave-side of the barn has a series of windows at the first-floor level; three pairs are located in the right (west) half and two, double-hung windows are located in the left (east) half. What appears to have been a door opening, currently filled in, is located toward the east corner of the north, eave-side of the barn, at the first-floor level. At the second-floor level, the north, eave-side of the barn has five, six-pane windows, located just beneath the roofline. The grade at the north, eave-side of the barn inclines sharply to the main level.
The barn is clad with horizontal ship-lap siding, painted red. The corner boards, cornice boards and window and door trim are painted white. The roof has a projecting overhang with exposed rafter tails and a Dutch flair. It is covered with what appear to be asphalt shingles. The foundation appears to be poured concrete.
Historical significance:
The New England barn or gable front barn is 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 as both types continued to be constructed. The gambrel roof enclosed a much greater volume than a gable roof did, and its shape could be formed with trusses that did not require cross beams, which would interfere with the movement and storage of hay. Also known as the curb roof, the double slopes of the gambrel offer more volume in the hayloft without increasing the height of the side walls.
The 19th century would see the introduction of a basement under the barn to allow for the easy collection and storage of a winter's worth of manure from the animals sheltered within the building. The bank barn is characterized by the location of its main floor above grade, either through building on a hillside or by raising the building on a foundation. This innovation, aided by the introduction of windows for light and ventilation, would eventually be joined by the introduction of space to shelter more animals under the main floor of the barn.
Field Notes
2012 for sale