Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

The largest of many structures on this working farm is a gambrel barn located north of the road and with its ridge line oriented east-west parallel to the road. The east gable-end has a large barn door opening with an overhead loading track visible inside. Above are a pair of small openings flanking a haymow door, and in the peak is a four-light window. The west façade has a row of stable windows at grade level, and a large haymow door above with a pair of hinged doors. A steel hoist projects from the wall under the peak. Siding is horizontal ship-lap boards.
The gambrel roof is asphalt shingles, with a metal ventilator at the center of the peak.

Additional buildings include a chicken coop with flat or shed roof and a row of windows in the south façade, an open wagon shed for tractors, and several other sheds and barns.

Historical significance:

By the early 20th century agricultural engineers developed a new approach to dairy barn design: the ground-level stable barn, to reduce the spread of tuberculosis bacteria by improving ventilation, lighting, and reducing the airborne dust of manure. A concrete slab typically serves as the floor for the cow stables. Many farmers converted manure basements in older barns into ground-level stables with concrete floors. Some older barns were jacked up and set on new first stories to allow sufficient headroom. With the stables occupying the entire first story, the space above serves a a hayloft. By the 1920s most ground-level stable barns were being constructed with lightweight balloon frames using two-by-fours or two-by-sixes for most of the timbers. Tongue-and-groove beveled siding is common on the walls, although asbestos cement shingles also were a popular sheathing. Some barns have concrete for the first-story walls, either poured in place or built up out of blocks. The gambrel roof design was universally accepted as it enclosed a much greater volume than a gable roof did, and its shape could be formed with trusses.

By the 1930s, large two-and three-story poultry barns were being built for raising broilers and capons for meat and pullets for eggs. These often have a shallow-pitched gable or shed roof and many windows on the south side, which are often covered with wire mesh. Mineral-surfaced asphalt paper or shingles typically cover the roof and walls.

Field Notes

Working farm. Barn One: pictures 1-7 Farm photos: pictures 8-11

Use (Historic)

• dairy

Use (Present)

• agriculture

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn
• Other
• Shed
• Stone Walls

Environment features

• Active Agriculture
• Open Land
• Residential
• Rural
• Scattered Buildings
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

One of several working farms and horse farms on rural roads in the southeastern part of Chaplin in river valley lands along the Natchaug River.

Building Typology

• Gambrel

Materials

• Clapboard

Structural System

• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Gambrel

Approximate Dimensions

Barn w Loft 1500 square feet, Barn 1 Story square feet, Barn 1 Story 1440 square feet.

Date Compiled

02/12/2010

Compiled By

Charlotte Hitchcock, reviewed by CT Trust

Sources

Field Notes and photographs by Stephanie Lessard 10/21/2009.
Town of Chaplin Assessor’s Record Map/Lot 75/ 71, 20 acres.
Ransom, David, Chaplin National Register Historic District Nomination, #78002856, National Park Service, 10/11/1978.
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.