Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

• State Historic Resource Inventory

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1 1/2–story gable-roof barn structure with a gable-roof addition and is part of a large complex of various dairy barns.  The main façade of the main barn faces south and the ridge-line of the main barn is perpendicular to Somers Turnpike, which runs approximately east-west.  The main entry is a pair of swinging hinged barn doors in the center of the south gable-end of the barn on the main level. ‘Fairvue Farms’ is painted to the south of the main entry on the façade of the barn in white paint. A fifteen-over-fifteen double-hung sash window is located in the gable attic of the south gable-end of the main barn.  There appears to be a pair of sliding barn doors in the center and a window opening on the south half of the east eave-side of the barn.  A larger gable-roof addition extends north from the north gable-end of the main barn.  A hip-roof bell tower is located on the center of the ridge-line of the main barn.  The barn has vertical siding painted red with all doors and window trim painted white.  The roof is asphalt shingle.

The complex of barns extends to the west and north of the main barn.  A cross gable-roof barn is located to the west of the main barn; it appears to be of the same period and has vertical siding painted red.  To the north of the main barn is a pair of large gable-roof barn structures, each has four-bays.  The ridge-line of these barns is parallel with the road they are associated with.  Further north of the pair of large gable-roof barn structures is a larger gable-roof barn structure with five-bays.  The ridge-line of this larger gable-roof barn structure is parallel with the road it is associated with.

Historical significance:

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, as both types continued to be built.

Field Notes

A member of the Farmers Cow organization which markets Connecticut grown milk and eggs. Multiple structures including New England barn, pole barn cow sheds. Fairvue Farms is located next to the historic Woodstock Fairgrounds in Woodstock, CT. In the past 40 years the Millers have expanded their herd from 40 cows to a herd of 600 Holstein milking cows. In the “milking parlor” 40 cows at a time can be milked in separate stalls, and it has a visitor observation area where school groups, for example, can watch the process. Baby calves are raised in individual “hutches” and are hand fed. The Millers have expanded their cropland acreage in recent years and farm more than 1600 acres, most of which is leased form other property owners in the area. Their family believes they need to be good stewards of the land, observing careful practices in conservation and wildlife management on the farm. Fairvue Farm hosts guided tours through their farm as part of “Celebrating Agriculture” held at the Woodstock Fairgrounds each September. Diane and Paul Miller: Diane and Paul have been dairy farming together since 1967 when they purchased Fairvue Farm in Woodstock from Paul’s mother. The Millers are strong believers in a positive future for dairy farming and locally grown products which is why they are active in Woodstock’s local Grange and agricultural committees. The four generations of Miller families work to keep the community informed of what’s happening on the farm by speaking to town officials, at local church and civic gatherings, and through the local media. Source: http://www.thefarmerscow.com/ctfamily_farms.html Aerial photos by G. Leslie Sweetnam for The Farmers Cow.

Use (Historic)

• dairy

Use (Present)

• dairy

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

No

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn

Environment features

• Active Agriculture
• Open Land
• Residential

Relationship to surroundings

The barn is to the northwest of the c. 1800 Colonial-style house it is associated with. The ridge-line of the house is perpendicular to the ridge-line of the barn.  To the east of the three large gable-roof barn structures are what appear to be three man-made ponds. Extending to the east, north and west of the complex are open fields. Further north of the complex, along Somers Turnpike, is the Woodstock Fairgrounds complex.  The total size of the site is 70.00 acres. The area surrounding the site is residential and woodland.

Building Typology

• New England

Materials

• Flush-board
• Vertical Siding

Structural System

• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Gable

Approximate Dimensions

n/a

Date Compiled

03/03/2011

Compiled By

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

Sources

Field notes and photographs by G. Leslie Sweetnam and Charlotte R. Hitchcock date 10/03/2009.

Town of Woodstock Assessor’s Record:  http://data.visionappraisal.com/WoodstockCT/findpid.asp#closest
Parcel ID: M0270000

Aerial Mapping:
http://www.maps.google.com accessed 03/03/2011 and
http://www.bing.com/maps accessed 03/03/2011.

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.