143 Burton Street, Beacon Falls (Western Uplands)

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a multi-unit barn complex located towards the north of Burton Street. The complex comprises of a three-bay eave-entry bank barn, Barn-I towards the west, the corn crib at the center and the three-bay eave-entry barn, Barn-II towards the northeast of the crib. The ridge lines of Barn-I and the corn crib run north-south parallel to each other but perpendicular to Burton Street while that of Barn-II runs east-west.

Barn-I: This is a 1 ½ - story three-bay eave-entry bank barn with a gable-roof addition on its east eave-side encompassing the first bay from the north and a shed-roof addition encompassing the two bays from the south. The south gable-end of the barn faces the road while the three-bay west eave-side is the main façade with the main entrance centered in the middle bay through a double-height exterior-hung sliding wagon door. The grade level along the main west eave-façade drops towards the south to the form the bank level along the south gable-end and the east eave-side, with the loose earth retained by field stone masonry wall. The south gable-end of the barn facing the road has an entrance centered at the bank level through an exterior-hung sliding wagon door flanked by a six-pane window with trim towards its west and two similar six-pane windows with trim towards the east. The south side-wall of the shed-roof addition on the east eave-side of the main barn is flush with the south gable-end and has a similar six-pane window with trim, in line with the other windows. A distinct dropped girt siding divide line separates the gable attic from the rest of the gable-end and has a window at the center with trim at the sill level. The north gable-end of the barn also has a distinct dropped girt separating the gable attic with a hay door at the center. The gable attic lined by deep soffit has a projecting hay track just below the apex of the roof which projects out to form a hay hood.

The wooden frame of the barn complex is supported on field stone masonry foundation. The barn complex has complex has asphalt shingles roofing and red painted vertical siding with white trim.

Barn-II: This is a 1 ½ - story three-bay eave-entry bay with a gable wall-dormer centered on its south eave-side and a shed-roof addition encompassing the entire length of its west gable-end. The ridge line of the barn runs east-west parallel to this portion of the road. The three-bay south eave-side of the barn facing the road is the main façade. The gable-roof of the barn has a louvered cupola centered along the ridge line.

The wooden frame of the barn is supported has asphalt shingles roofing and red painted vertical siding walls with white trim.

Corn crib: This is a 1 – story gable-roof crib with slating eave-sides. The south gable-end of the crib faces Burton Road while the ridge line runs north-south perpendicular to this portion of the road.

The wooden frame of the crib has asphalt shingles roofing and vertical siding walls.

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.

The 19th century saw 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 into 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.

In the middle of the 19th century, growing “Indian” corn became popular. Storing the corn on the cob in well-ventilated corn cribs allowed the kernels to dry without spoiling. The distinctively shaped corn crib, with slanted side walls built of spaced wooden slats, became common by the 1860s. The overhanging eaves and slanted walls helped prevent rain from splashing inside. Vertical side walls are also common. Corn cribs are typically set high above the ground on wooden or stone posts.

Field Notes

Horse farm with multiple barns and corn crib, adjacent to Beacon Falls elementary school and playground.

Use (Historic)

agriculture

Use (Present)

equestrian

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

Environment features

Relationship to surroundings

The property is located towards the north of Burton Street accessed by Clark Lane from the south. The property is located situated in a mixed use area with individual plots separated by dense woodland. Residential plots can be seen towards the east, west and the south across the road. Laurel Ledge School is located towards the southwest of the property while dense woodland covers the area towards the north and the northeast.

The multi-unit barn complex is located towards the western edge of the property with the eave-entry bank barn, Barn-I towards the west. The ridge line of the main barn of Barn-I runs north-south perpendicular to Burton Street but parallel to Clark Lane. A corn crib is located towards the east of Barn-I with its ridge line running north-south. A three-bay eave-entry barn with a cupola, Barn-II is located towards the northeast of the corn crib with its ridge line running east-west. Gable-roof outbuildings can be seen towards the north and the southeast of the corn crib while the main residence of the property is located towards further southeast. The property has open land towards the south, south and the east of the barn complex with dense woodland covering the area beyond. A pond is located towards the southeast of the main residence across Clark Lane.

Building Typology

Materials

Approximate Dimensions

n/a

Date Compiled

06/22/2011

Compiled By

T. Levine and M. Patnaik, reviewed by CT Trust

Sources

Field notes and photographs provided by: Charlotte R. Hitchcock, 03/24/2009.

Photograph/Information retrieved on June 22nd, 2011 from website http://www.google.com

Photograph/Information retrieved on June 22nd, 2011 from website http://www.bing.com.

Photograph/Information retrieved on June 22nd, 2011 from website http://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.

Historic Barns of Connecticut

Barn Record Beacon Falls