Oakridge Farms (8 Hoffman Road, Ellington (Central Valley))

Barn Record Ellington

RETURN TO ‘FIND BARNS’

Building Name (Common)

Oakridge Farms

Building Name (Historic)

n/a

Address

8 Hoffman Road, Ellington

Typology

Overview

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 2 story shed-roofed dairy barn. The main facade faces north and the eave-line of the barn is perpendicular to this portion of Hoffman Road, which runs approximately north-south. The main entries are a pair of exterior sliding doors just off center in the north eave-facade of the barn. Centered in the facade is a pass-through door. The rest of the facade is semi-open. The east gable-facade is blank except for a centered pass-through door. The south eave-facade has a series of open window spaces with two larger opening for cattle. Atop the flat roof is a ventilation system housed in a square shed. The barn is clad in metal siding.

Historical significance:

Most ground-level stable barns and free-stall dairy barns built since the 1970s have no hayloft. Instead, the roofs are supported by prefabricated wooden trusses covered with metal roofing. While most single-story truss-roofed barns in New England are constructed with concrete foundations and stud-framed walls, pole barns with open sides are becoming popular, especially for sheltering large herds of dairy cows, heifers, and beef cattle. Many of these large truss-roofed structures are free-stall barns, introduced in the late 1940s.

Field Notes

This farm is a calf raising farm that, with other farms in the area, supplies milk for Stew Leonard stores. There are a total of 12 barns on the property, most pole barns or new metal fabricated.

Use & Accessibility

Use (Historic)

dairy

Use (Present)

dairy

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Environment

Related features

Environment features

Relationship to surroundings

This flat-roofed dairy barn is one of twelve on this large site (43.90 acres). To the east of the flat-roofed barn is Hoffman Road. To the north of this barn are four pole barns; the closest with its ridge-line parallel to the shed-roofed barn and the other three with their ridge-lines parallel with Hoffman Road. To the west of the westernmost pole barn is a large paddock. Two small sheds are to the northwest of the flat-roofed barn. To the west, northwest and north and large tracts of open space and fenced-in areas for cattle. To the south of the flat-roofed barn is open space. The area is active agriculture, scattered residential and open space.

Typology & Materials