Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

• Local Historic District
• National Register

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1 ½ story eave-entry shed. Its main facade faces approximately southeast with its ridge line running southwest-northeast, parallel to Chaplin Street. The center bay has a pass-through door with a fourteen-pane transom light above. The southern-most bay (left side) has a hood running from the center bay to the far end of the shed-roofed addition. The northern-most bay (right side) has a projecting hood above the fixed six-pane window and pass-through door. The northeast gable-end has a shed-roofed addition with a fixed six-pane window on its southeast facade and a pass-through door on its northeast facade. On the northeast gable-end of the original structure, below the apex, is a fixed single-paned window. The shed has vertical siding that is painted red and an asphalt shingle roof.

Historical significance:

A shed is typically a simple, single-story structure in a back garden or on an allotment that is used for storage, hobbies, or as a workshop. Sheds vary considerably in the complexity of their construction and their size, from small open-sided tin-roofed structures to large wood-framed sheds with shingled roofs, windows, and electrical outlets. Sheds used on farms or in industry can be large structures.

Historical background:

The Chaplin Historic District is an entire village built between 1815 and 1840, standing today in complete integrity, free of intrusions. The church, tavern, Town Hall, store and nineteen houses in late Federal and early Greek Revival styles provide a unique example of the architecture and ambience of a New England village - entirely constructed in a compressed period of time a century and a half ago, and unaltered since that time.
Connecticut has many villages which are older than Chaplin and many towns founded earlier than Chaplin in which can be traced continuing architectural and community developments from a century or more before through a century or more after the fabric demonstrated by Chaplin. Chaplin is unique because it was created on site where before there had been no settlement, was created complete in a brief span of time, and subsequently has experienced no development or changes. Chaplin provides a unique record of the architecture and community planning of the 1820’s and 1830’s (Ransom, p. 7).

Field Notes

Barn One- 97 Chaplin Street photos: Associated house- 1840, local historic district Includes some roof boards and timbers that were salvaged from earlier building Barn two- 96 Chaplin Street photos: Built as carriage barn c.1900 for house across street, #97 (c. 1840). First floor converted to residence atleast by post WWII, (Murphy's House). Renovated 1993-1998, new windows, second floor converted, porch and deck added. Chestnut post and Beam. Photos of earlier state before 1993 available from C. Lynch.

Use (Historic)

• agriculture

Use (Present)

• storage

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn

Environment features

• Residential
• Rural
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

One of two barns associated with #97 Chaplin Street; the second barn, #96, is located across the street. Chaplin Street is now a secondary road since Rt. 198 was straightened to bypass the village center.

Building Typology

• Other Shed

Materials

• Vertical Siding

Structural System

• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Gable
• Shed

Approximate Dimensions

33' L x 16' W

Date Compiled

02/16/2010

Compiled By

T. Levine and S. Lessard, reviewed by CT Trust.

Sources

Photographs and field notes by Hill Bullard and Catherine Lynch 11/25/2009.

Ransom, David, Chaplin National Register Historic District Nomination, # 78002856, National Park Service, 10/11/1978.

Works Progress Administration Writers’ Project, Architectural Survey, Census of Old Buildings, Reference Group 33, Box 226 “Bolton-Chaplin,” Hartford: Connecticut State Library Archives.