9 Gillett Street, Hartford (Central Valley) | Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1 ½-story, eave-entry, three-bay, mansard-roof carriage barn. The main façade faces east and the ridge-line is parallel to Gillett Street which at this point runs approximately north to south.

The main entry is centered on the east eave-façade of the barn, in the middle bay which protrudes slightly from the façade. The entry consists of what appears to be an interior sliding door. Two wood panels top the entry, with a decorative stone molded pediment above the panels. Just above this is a gable-roof dormer with a four-pane arched window set within. In the northern bay there is a set of two windows; a two-over-two double-hung window and a six-pane window. Decorative stone molding tops these windows. Just above is a gable-roof dormer with a four-pane window set within. An interior sliding paneled door with a set of six-pane windows is centered in the southern bay of the east eave-façade of the barn. Just above this is an interior sliding hay door with X bracing, what appears to be wooden columns and a shed-roof hood.

Dense tree growth and a brick building preclude a visual description of the south gable-end of the barn for the purposes of a Historic Resource Inventory. Along the west eave-side of the barn appears to be an entry near the south corner. Centered on this side appears to be a window opening with a gable-roof dormer above. Set within the gable-roof dormer is a window. There appear to be no other openings on this side. Near the west corner of the north gable-end of the barn is what appears to be a window with a stone panel above. Towards the east are two small windows with stone panels above each. Near the east corner appears to be either a large window or an entry. Just above this is a gable-roof dormer with a window set within. There appear to be no other openings on this side.

The barn is constructed with brick, and the mansard roof is clad in slate shingles. A large hip-roof cupola tops the roof line. It has X bracing and a gable-dormer with a louvered vent.

Historical significance:

Until the 1830s, the horses used for riding and driving carriages were often kept in the main barn along with the other farm animals. By the 1850s, some New England farmers built separate horse stables and carriage houses. Early carriage houses were built just to shelter a carriage and perhaps a sleigh, but no horses. The pre-cursor to the twentieth-century garage, these outbuildings are distinguished by their large hinged doors, few windows, and proximity to the dooryard. The combined horse stable and carriage house continued to be a common farm building through the second half of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth century, until automobiles became common. Elaborate carriage houses were also associated with gentlemen farms and country estates of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Another form of carriage barn, the urban livery stable, served the needs of tradespeople.

The Mansard roof is a type of dual-pitched hipped roof, the upper part having a flatter pitch and the lower part a steep pitch. The lower pitch often has dormer windows to allow light into a full-height attic story within the volume of the roof. The lower steep pitched roof may be a straight roof or may be flared or curved. Molded cornices and decorative brackets often ornament the eaves. A few examples have central cupolas.

Field Notes

Carriage house is adjacent north of 9 Gillett Street. Circ. 1865. Carriage house was part of former estate at corner of Gillett and Farmington Ave. in Hartford across from the Stowe Center and Mark Twain House. House for the carriage house has been replaced by 2-3 apartment buildings. The owner has photos of the estate house of which the carriage house was part of. Stowe Center library probably also has photos of the house.

Use (Historic)

carriage barn

Use (Present)

garage

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Original Site

Related features

Carriage House

Environment features

Relationship to surroundings

This barn sits on 0.396 acres of land just to the north of the building with which it is associated. The main façade of the building faces east, with the roof-line running perpendicular to Gillett Street. A driveway extends to the west off Gillett Street and leads to the carriage barn. To the north of the property are Connecticut State University System Office, University of Connecticut School of Law, West Middle School, Classical Magnet High School, Saint Francis Hospital, and Aaron Fein Square. To the south are Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, Hartford Public High School, Harbison Playground, and Rice Heights Playground. To the east are the start of Asylum Avenue District Historic District and Interstate 84. To the west are Hartford Children’s Theater, Hartford Seminary, Morley School and North Cemetery. Surrounding this property are dense residential areas and commercial shopping complexes.

Approximate Dimensions

n/a

Date Compiled

09/02/2011

Compiled By

K. Young & T. Levine, reviewed by CT Trust

Sources

Field notes and photographs by David Biklen - 1/25/2010.

Additional photos added by Tom Dundin - 12/31/2010.

Town of Hartford Tax Assessor’s Records:
http://assessor1.hartford.gov/Default.asp?br=exp&vr=6 - accessed 9/2/2011.

Aerial Mapping: Hartford Maps
http://www.bing.com/maps - accessed 9/2/2011.

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.

Barn Record Hartford