Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1 ½ - story multi-bay gable-entry gambrel-roof bank barn with a small Dutch gambrel-roof addition on its north eave-side, off-centered towards the east. The north eave-side of the barn faces Franson Road while the east gable-end faces Plungis Road. The ridge line of the barn runs east-west parallel to Franson Road but perpendicular to Plungis Road. The west gable-end of the barn oriented away from the roads is the main façade with the main entrance at the center through a pair of double-height exterior-hung vertical-board sliding wagon doors which is now operated by an over-head garage door. The façade has a second entrance towards the north of the main entrance through a hinged pass-through door which appears to be a later insert. A continuous trim at the lintel level of the main entrance separates the gable attic from the rest of the west main gable-façade. The gable attic has two single-pane square windows, one each towards either side. The undulating grade level along the main west gable-façade reveals the concrete masonry foundation towards the south. The grade level along the north eave-side gradually declines towards the east and wraps the barn to form the bank level along its north eave-side, east gable-end and the south eave-side. The bank level of the north eave-side of the barn has the Dutch gambrel-roof addition off-centered towards the east with at least four four-pane windows towards the west and three similar four-pane windows towards the east. The west eave-side of the Dutch gambrel-roof addition is blank while a four-pane window can be seen centered on the north gable-end. The east eave-side of the Dutch gambrel-roof addition is recessed below the eave-level and appears to have an entrance towards the north. The east gable-end of the barn facing Plungis Road has a wagon entrance centered at the bank level flanked by a square window on each side. The grade level along the south eave-side of the barn gradually rises towards the west along the concrete block masonry wall of the bank level which is punctuated by at least five four-pane windows towards the east.

The wooden frame of the barn is supported on concrete block masonry foundation which continues to form the bank level. The gambrel-roof of the barn has asphalt shingles roofing with white painted horizontal clapboard siding on the gable end while the gable attic is left unpainted.

Historical significance:

The New England barn or gable front barn is 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 constructed.

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.
The 19th century would see the introduction of a basement under the barn to allow for the easy collection and storage of a winter’s worth of manure from the animals sheltered within the building. The bank barn is characterized by the location of its main floor above grade, either through building on a hillside or by raising the building on a foundation.

This innovation, aided by the introduction of windows for light and ventilation, would eventually be joined by the introduction of space to shelter more animals under the main floor of the barn. 

Field Notes

214-260 Franson Road (photos labeled 259) Earl Franson owned the farm until 2005, followed by Howard Franson, and currently Franson Family LLC.

Use (Historic)

• dairy

Use (Present)

• unknown

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Garage
• Other
• Shed

Environment features

• Open Land
• Residential
• Rural
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

The 33.98 acres property, Account number- 3021 and MBL number- 29/ 26/ 6/ / / is spread across both sides of Franson Road. The property is located in a predominantly residential area of rural character with individual plots separated by parcels of farmland, woodland and water bodies. Residential plots can be seen towards the east, south and the southeast of the property across the road while the area towards the north and the west is covered by dense woodland. A stream of water can be seen flowing towards further east of the property.

The barn is located towards the south of Franson Road and the west of Plungis Road. The ridge line of the barn runs east-west parallel to this portion of Franson Road but perpendicular to Plungis Road. The circa 2004 colonial main residence of the property is located towards the north of Franson Road with the garage located towards its immediate west. Open land can be seen towards the west and the south of the barn and the area surrounding the main residence while dense woodland covers the area along the fringes and beyond.

Building Typology

• Gambrel Bank

Materials

• Clapboard
• Concrete
• Concrete Block

Structural System

• Load-bearing Masonry
• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Dutch Gambrel
• Gambrel

Approximate Dimensions

n/a

Date Compiled

06/28/2011

Compiled By

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

Sources

Field notes and photographs provided by: Todd Levine, 09/21/2006.

Assessors information retrieved on June 28th, 2011 from the website
http://data.visionappraisal.com/watertownct/DEFAULT.asp
Parcel ID: 29/ 29/ 3/

Photograph/Information retrieved on June 28th, 2011 from website http://www.google.com

Photograph/Information retrieved on June 28th, 2011 from website http://www.bing.com.

Photograph/Information retrieved on June 28th, 2011 from website http://www.zillow.com.

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.