Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1-story chicken coop. The main façade faces south perpendicular to North Society Road.  The main entry is two square X-braced exterior sliding doors set one atop the other at the center of the south façade. To the west of the upper entry is a long rectangular louvered vent. This louvered vent is interrupted by another rectangular X-braced exterior sliding door, centered on the western half of the upper portion of the south façade. To the east of the upper entry on the south façade is a long rectangular run of louvers.  To the west of the lower entry is a long rectangular louvered vent. The west-side of the chicken coop has a rectangular X-braced exterior sliding door at the lower southern portion. Above the door in the southern portion of the west side is a square louvered vent. The roof line on the west side declines at a low angle from the south to the north. The chicken coop has vertical flush-board painted red. The roof appears to be covered in asphalt. The foundation is concrete.

Historical significance:

Poultry farming grew in popularity during the second half of the 19th century, and by the early 20th century most farms had small chicken coops. These lightly-built structures often feature a gabled or shed roof and large windows on the south side. Often chicken coops have a small stove and chimney for heat to protect young chicks during cold weather. Small openings near the ground provide the fowl with access to the yard. Inside are nesting boxes for the laying hens. During the 1930s and 1940s, poultry farming was adopted by many farmers in New England as a replacement for dairy farming.

Field Notes

n/a

Use (Historic)

• poultry

Use (Present)

• poultry

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Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn

Environment features

• Active Agriculture
• Residential
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

The chicken coop is to the east and across North Society Road of the late 20th c. house with which it is associated. The ridgeline of the house is perpendicular to the main façade of chicken coop. To the east of the chicken coop is a small shed. To the north of the chicken coop is a neighboring farm with small barn, and a house with two attached structures. The total size of the site is 20.6 acres. The area surrounding the site is agricultural with some light residential and woodlands.

Building Typology

• Chicken Coop

Materials

• Concrete
• Flush-board

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Structural System

• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

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Roof type

• Flat

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Approximate Dimensions

n/a

Date Compiled

02/08/2011

Compiled By

TR Revella & T. Levine, reviewed by CT Trust

Sources

Field notes and photographs by Ted Ells - 9/20/2006

Town of Canterbury Assessor’s Record
http://data.visionappraisal.com/CanterburyCT/findpid.asp?iTable=pid&pid=1127

Parcel ID: 00083103

Aerial Mapping: http://www.bing.com/maps accessed 02/08/2010.

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.