Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1 ½ - story gable-entry T-shaped barn with a cross-gable roof. The east eave-side of the main arm of the barn and the east gable-side of the cross-gable arm face Thrall Road. The ridge line of the main arm of the T-shaped barn runs north-south, almost parallel to Thrall Road. The cross-gable arm is on the east eave-side of the main arm with its north eave-side flush with the north gable-side of the main arm. The cross-gable arm of the barn has a salt-box roof addition on its south eave-side with its east side-wall flush with the east gable-side of the cross-gable arm. The main façade of the T-shaped barn is the east gable-façade of the cross-gable arm with the main entrance at the center through a pair of double-height hinged wagon doors with blacksmith hardware. The façade has a second entrance towards the northern edge through a hinged wagon door with blacksmith hardware. A hinged pass-through door can be seen towards the southern edge separated from the main entrance by a two-module stable window with four-pane each and lintel trim. The main east gable-façade of the barn has a similar window centered in the gable attic with two modules of four-pane each and trim. The cross-gable roof of the barn is lined by deep cornice board.

The wooden frame of 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, as both types continued to be built.

Field Notes

Weathered gray, vertical siding with another L-shaped barn towards its south.

Use (Historic)

• agriculture

Use (Present)

• unknown

---

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn
• Garage
• Garden

Environment features

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

Relationship to surroundings

The 18.40 acres property, Map Number - 32 60 003, is a corner plot towards the south of Chamberlain Road and the west of Thrall Road. It is situated in a pre-dominantly residential area of rural character. Residential plots can be seen towards the south and north of the property across Chamberlain Road while dense woodland while dense woodland covers the area towards the east, across Thrall Road.

The barn is located in the south-eastern corner of the property a L-shaped barn towards its south. A 1 ½ - story gable-roof gable-entry shed with a shed-roof addition on its south eave-side can be seen towards the north of the main barn. The circa 1925 main residence is located towards the north-west of the barn. Another circa 1880 residence is located towards the east of the barn, nearer to Thrall Road. Parcels of farm land can be seen towards the west of the property while dense woodland can be seen towards the south. 

Building Typology

• New England

Materials

• Vertical Siding

---

Structural System

• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

---

Roof type

• Gable
• Saltbox

---

Approximate Dimensions

Barn: 360 SqFt, Circa 1900 Garage: 1248 SqFt, Circa 1900 Shed: 1296 SqFt, Circa 1900 Garage: 360 SqFt, Circa 1925

Date Compiled

12/02/2010

Compiled By

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

Sources

Photographs and field-notes provided by – John E. Harmon

Assessors’ records retrieved on December 2nd, 2010 from website http://www.equalitycama.com/ 

GIS information retrieved on December 2nd, 2010 from website http://www.crcog.org/gissearch/

Photograph/Information retrieved on December 2nd, 2010 from website http://www.google.com

Information retrieved on December 2nd, 2010 from website http://www.zillow.com

O’Gorman, James F., Connecticut Valley Vernacular: the Vanishing Landscape and Architecture of the New England Tobacco Fields, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002, 144 pages.

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.