Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

• State Historic Resource Inventory

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 2 ½-story gable-roofed barn structure with two gable-roofed additions and a shed roof addition.  Oriented with it ridge-line parallel to Roseland Park Road, which runs approximately north-south, the south gable-façade of the main barn has three-bays.  The main entry of the barn on the main level is a pair of interior hung sliding doors in the center of the façade of the barn that extend to the middle of the second level.  Each leaf of the sliding doors has five vertical panels on lower one-third of the door and thirty lights on the upper two-thirds of the door.  In the center of the east bay of the barn on the main level is six-over-six double hung sash window.  In the center of the west bay of the barn on the main level is a six-over-six double hung sash window with a four-panel pass-through door to the left of the window.  The second level of the barn on the south gable façade has a six-over-six double hung sash window located in the center of the east and west bays.  A six-over-six double hung sash window is located in the gable attic of the south gable-façade.  The south gable-façade has decorative verge board trim.  On the west eave-side of the barn is a pair of six-over-six double hung sash windows on the southern most half on the main level.  Four equidistant six-over-six double hung sash windows are located on the second level of the west eave-side of the barn.  A gable-roofed addition extends east from the northwest corner of the barn; this gable-roofed addition has a shed-roofed addition extending south from its south eave-side.  A second gable-roofed addition extends to the east from the southern half of the east eave-side of the barn. The barn has vertical flush-board siding painted red.  The roof has a projecting overhang and asphalt shingles.  Located on the south half of the ridge-line of the barn is a cross gable-roofed cupola with swinging hinged shutters and decorative verge board trim matching the on the south gable-façade of the barn.

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

The historic barn houses original lighting, iron doors, hitch posts, etc. It also stores historic artifacts that also include boats. (picture attached). The Roseland Park is a 60.3 acre recreation area, located in Woodstock, on the west shore of Roseland Lake. The Park was a gift of Hnery C. Bowen, a merchant, publisher and abolitionist, a native of Woodstock. Being a resident of New York, Bowen and his family spent summers at their home on Woodstock Hill known as Roseland Cottage, or 'The Pink House'. The park opened in 1876 and quickly became a popular gathering spot for residents of Woodstock and surrounding towns. Thousands came to watch the fireworks and attend 4th of July celebrations, with many national political figures delivering speeches on the public grounds. Historical photographs show that many late-Victorian era details accented the Park landscape, including fencing, an arched entry gate, a boat house and a windmill. The Roseland Park continues to serve as an important community resource, providing facilities for boating, skating, fishing, picnicking, walking and running, many of the 19th century features have perished. The entry gate and the wind mill no longer exist and the once open sunny landscape now stands in shade. Recent efforts of the Woodstock Area Garden Club and a local arborist have helped imrove the grounds. The trustees are in the process of preparing a Cultural Landscape Report for Roseland Park. They are committed to preserving the 'Spirit of Roseland Park' and its many historic features including the barn. They have received funding from the last Green Valley-Quinebaug Shetucket National Heritage Area to complete the report. The barn is integral component for Roseland's historic golf course and the park. It continues to be the theme of the historic Roseband Cottage.

Use (Historic)

• gentleman

Use (Present)

• storage

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

No

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn
• Carriage House
• Cupola
• Shop

Environment features

• Rural
• Scattered Buildings
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

The barn is located within Roseland Park.  The barn is to the west of the c. 1880 Cape Cod-style house it is associated with.  The ridge-line of the house is parallel to the ridge-line of the barn.  To the north of the barn is a tennis court.  To the east of the barn and house is Roseland Lake.  To the west of the barn is Roseland Park Road, which runs approximately north-south.  The total size of the site is 60.30 acres. The area surrounding the site is woodland and residential.

Building Typology

• New England

Materials

• Board & Batten
• Clapboard
• Fieldstone
• Vertical Siding

Structural System

• Post & Beam
• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle
• Tin

Roof type

• Gable

Approximate Dimensions

2660 sq. ft.

Date Compiled

02/27/2011

Compiled By

A. Ehrgott & T. Levine; reviewed by CT Trust

Sources

Field notes and photographs by Elizabeth Heckler, Trustees of Roseland Park - 4/28/2010.

Additional photographs by Jean McClellan - 2/24/2012.

Town of Woodstock Assessor’s Record:  http://data.visionappraisal.com/WoodstockCT/findpid.asp?iTable=pid&pid=3572
Parcel ID: R0433800

Aerial Mapping:
http://www.bing.com/maps accessed 02/27/2011.

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.