Barberry Hill Farm (353 Boston Post Road (US Rte 1), Madison (Eastern Coastal Slope))

Designations

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1 1/2-story, gable-roofed barn structure with a shed-roofed addition and a gable-roofed addition. The main façade faces west with its ridge line running perpendicular to Boston Post Road, which runs east-west. The shed-roofed addition extends to the north and the gable-roofed addition extends to the east of the main barn. The west eave-façade of the main barn has a pair of centered, X-braced double-height sliding barn doors that open at grade on the main level. It appears that a window opening is located to the north (left) of the sliding barn doors on the west eave-façade of the main barn on the main level. The rest of the facade appears blank. Extending to the north, off the west half of the north gable-end of the main barn is a shed-roof addition used as a coop. The west side of the shed-roof addition appears to have a band of three window openings. The north gable-end of the main barn, north side of the shed addition and north eave-side of the gable addition are blank. The east side of the shed addition has a small swinging hinged door on the north half and a small square opening with a wooden poultry ramp on the south half. The east eave-side of the main barn on the main level has six-over-six double hung sash window on the north half and what appears to be a single-pane horizontal window on center on the main level. Extending to the east on the south half of the east eave-side of the main barn is the gable-roofed addition with its ridge line running perpendicular to the main barn. The east gable-end of the gable-roofed addition has a square window opening in the gable attic. The south eave-side of the gable-roofed addition appears to have a garage opening on center with small window opening on the west half and a pass-through door on the western half. The west gable-end of the main barn appears to have a window opening on the east half on the main level and a pass-through door on the east half and window on the eastern most half on the main level. Several courses of fieldstone foundation wall are visible on the north gable-end and east eave-side of the main barn and the north eave-side and east gable-end of the gable-roofed addition. The main barn and gable- and shed-roofed additions have vertical siding painted white and opening trim painted green. The roofs of the main barn and gable-roofed addition appears to be asphalt shingle. The roof of the shed-roofed addition appears to be rolled asphalt. There appears to be a small cupola with a metal roofed centered on the ridge line of the main barn.

A small unattached gable-roofed structure is located directly at northeast corner of the shed-roofed addition. The main façade faces south with its ridge line perpendicular to the main barn. The south eave-façade appears to have a large opening. The east gable-end has a boarded window opening on the south half on the main level. A square metal panel painted white with a circular opening is affixed to the gable attic on the east gable-end. The north eave-side has a boarded window opening on center. The west gable-end appears to have a window opening on center on the main level. The gable-roofed structure has vertical siding painted white and opening trim painted green. The roof is wood shingle.

Historical significance:

The oldest barns still found in the state are called the “English Barn,” “side-entry barn,” “eave entry,” or a 30 x 40. They are simple buildings with rectangular plan, pitched gable roof, and a door or doors located on one or both of the eave sides of the building based on the grain warehouses of the English colonists’ homeland. The name “30 by 40” originates from its size (in feet), which was large enough for 1 family and could service about 100 acres. The multi-purpose use of the English barn is reflected by the building’s construction in three distinct bays - one for each use. The middle bay was used for threshing, which is separating the seed from the stalk in wheat and oat by beating the stalks with a flail. The flanking bays would be for animals and hay storage.

Field Notes

Listed on the State Register of Historic Places 3/05/2014. The barns for Goddard Farm are best seen by driving up Stony Lane from the Boston Post Road. This is a working farm with sheep, chickens and extensive gardens.

Use (Historic)

agriculture

Use (Present)

agriculture

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

Environment features

Relationship to surroundings

The barn is located to the southwest of the c. 1910 Colonial-style main house and c. 1950 Cape Cod-style guest house it is associated with. The ridge-line of the main house is perpendicular to the ridge-line of the barn while the ridge-line of the guest house is parallel to the ridge-line of the barn. To the southwest of the barn and the northeast of the main house is a circular drive. To the south of the barn is a carriage house and shed. Further south is a driveway running east-west and connected to the east of the circular drive, joins with Stony Lane, which runs north-south. Extending further to the south of the barn and the main house are gardens and the main driveway connecting to Boston Post Road. To the east of the barn is a stone wall extending to the north. Further to the east of the barn and fence is Stony Lane. To the north of the barn is large open field and woodlands. A white fence attached to the northwest corner of the shed-roofed addition extends to the west, connecting to the northeast corner of the guest house. There are several small outbuildings to the northwest of the guest house. To the west of the barn and south of the white fence is a large yard. The total size of the site is 17.12 acres. The area surrounding the site is residential and woodland.

Building Typology

Materials

Structural System

n/a

Roof materials

Roof type

Gable
Shed

Approximate Dimensions

n/a

Date Compiled

02/21/2011

Compiled By

A. Ehrgott & T. Levine; reviewed by CT Trust

Sources

Field notes and photographs by Warner Lord date 5/28/2009.

Town of Madison Assessor’s Record
http://data.visionappraisal.com/MadisonCT/findpid.asp?iTable=pid&pid=2142
(For address 353 Boston Post Rd. – no ‘337’ address number listed)

Parcel ID: 00212700

Aerial Mapping:
http://www.bing.com/maps accessed 02/21/2011.

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.

Historic Barns of Connecticut

Barn Record Madison