Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1 1/2-story connected gable-entry bank barn. The main gable-entry structure faces north, away from Upper Road, which runs approximately east-west. The main entrance is in the center of the north gable-facade and has a single interior sliding door with a small window in the middle. Two fixed six-pane windows flank the entry. Between the apex of the roof and the dropped girt line siding divide is a fixed single-pane window. Just below the apex is a small triangular board filling the peak of the gable. Towards the middle of the east eave-facade is a single exterior sliding door with a fixed four-pane window under grade, with a flared hood that covers the entire length of the facade. There is a ramp that lead to the above grade recessed pass-through door made of fieldstone towards the northern portion of this facade. Flanking the door on both sides are a pair of fixed double-pane windows. Two more pairs of windows with identical frames, this time with fixed six-panes in each, adorn the southern portion of this facade. Under grade on the south gable-end of the barn is an identical set-up as the east facade; a single exterior sliding door with a fixed four-pane window under grade, with a flared hood that covers the entire length of the facade. The only difference is that this sliding door is centered. On the west side of the side under grade is a fixed six-pane window. Centered above grade are a pair of adjoining fixed six-pane windows. Above them and below the dropped girt line siding divide is a set of three adjoining fixed six-pane windows. Between the apex of the roof and the dropped girt line siding divide is a fixed single-pane window. Just below the apex is a small triangular board filling the peak of the gable. The west eave-side of the barn has a pass-through door and a pair of adjoining fixed six-pane windows. Connecting the barn to the house is a newer one story wing with a pair of hooded exterior sliding doors and a series of six-pane windows. The barn has vertical flash board painted red with white trim and the roof has asphalt shingles.

Historical significance:

Connected barns tied all of the functions of a farmstead - home, hearth, workplace and barn - into a series of linked buildings. This is the “big house, little house, back house, barn” of nursery rhymes.

The New England barn or gable front barn was 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.

The 19th century also 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 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

A large NE bank barn connected to the farmhouse by a one-story wing.

Use (Historic)

• agriculture

Use (Present)

• unknown

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Other
• Stone Walls

Environment features

• Open Land
• Residential
• Rural
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

The barn is connected to the west of the c. 1826 house with which it is associated. The total size of the site is 41.01 acres. The structure is a corner lot at the intersection of Upper Road, which runs east-west and Hydeville Road, which runs north-south. Just south of the structure is an in-ground pool and a greenhouse. To the west and further south of the structure is open space. To the south of the open space is a stone wall that runs east-west. To the southwest is a small body of water and woodland. The area surrounding the site is active agriculture, open space, light residential and woodland.

Building Typology

• Connected
• New England Bank

Materials

• Vertical Siding

Structural System

• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Gable

Approximate Dimensions

1836 square feet

Date Compiled

01/21/2010

Compiled By

Todd Levine, reviewed by the Connecticut Trust

Sources

Photographs and field notes by Esther DaRos/Mike Hayden - 09/15/2009

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.

Town of Stafford Assessors office: Deed Book #0437, Deed Page #0047.

http://stafford.univers-clt.com/view_property_R.php?account_no=27%2F022&series_card=1

Map-Block-Lot: 27/022