Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural Description:

This is a 1 ½ story gable-entry gambrel-roof barn with a shed-roof addition along its southern eave-façade. The northern eave-façade of the barn faces Bozrah Street with its ridge-line running east-west parallel to the road. The main façade of the barn is the eastern gable-façade with the main entrance at the center through an exterior-hung sliding wagon door with the door leaf not in place. The façade has a distinct dropped girt siding divide line separating the gable-attic above with the roof projecting out to form a hay hood. The gable attic has returning eave and a hinged hay-door just below the projecting hay hood. The southern eave- façade of the barn has a semi-open shed-roof addition with chamfered open bays. The western gable-façade of the barn has an entrance opposite to the main entrance on the eastern gable-façade of the barn. The northern eave-façade of the barn is blank and has exposed concrete foundation near the grade level. 
The wooden frame of the barn is supported on concrete foundation. The barn has vertical siding walls and asphalt shingle roofing.

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. The gambrel roof enclosed a much greater volume than a gable roof did, and its shape could be formed with trusses that did not require cross beams, which would interfere with the movement and storage of hay. Also known as the curb roof, the double slopes of the gambrel offer more volume in the hayloft without increasing the height of the side walls.

Field Notes

This barn was relocated from Stockhouse Rd in Bozrah. It is original except stone foundation, which could not be moved. The vertical siding was turned around and reused. Dimen: 40ft X 30ft Current use: agriculture - alpacas Envir: active agriculture, residential Related features: open fields, woods Materials: veritical siding Roof: asphalt siding Roof type: Gambrel Form: New England Wood frame, square rule

Use (Historic)

• agriculture

Use (Present)

• unknown

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Moved

Related features

• Barn

Environment features

• Active Agriculture
• Open Land
• Residential

Relationship to surroundings

The property is towards the south of Bozrah Street surrounded by parcels of farmland.  The barn is towards the southern edge of the property with a fenced area towards its north-west to graze alpacas. The main residence of the property can be seen towards the north-east of the barn. A gambrel-roof shed is situated towards the north of the barn, nearer to Bozrah Street.

Building Typology

• Gambrel

Materials

• Vertical Siding

Structural System

• Load-bearing Masonry
• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Gambrel
• Shed

Approximate Dimensions

40 Ft X 30 Ft

Date Compiled

07/21/2010

Compiled By

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

Sources

Photographs and field notes provided by – Susan Ververis

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.