Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1 1/2 story eave-entry barn with three adjoining gable-roofed additions, gable-to-gable and all three with parallel ridge-lines. The main facade faces southeast and the ridge-line of the structure is parallel with this portion of Sheldon Street, which runs approximately southwest-northeast. The main entry is a pair of double-height hinged doors in the east half of the southeast eave-facade of the main barn. The rest of the facade is blank. The southwest gable-side of the main barn is blank. The northwest eave-side of the barn is blank. The northeast gable-side of the main barn is completely encompassed by a slightly smaller gable-roofed addition (addition 1). The entire addition is blank except for a two-pane window just beneath the apex of its roof on the northeast gable-side. The northeast gable-side of addition 1 completely encompassed by a slightly smaller gable-roofed addition (addition 2) except for the aforementioned two-pane window. The southeast eave-side of addition 2 has four bays with overhead garage doors. The northwest eave-side of addition 2 is blank. The northeast gable-side of addition 2 has a small gable-roofed shed (addition 3), capping the set of additions. This addition only encompasses the south half of additions 2’s northeast gable-side. Addition 3 has two windows with trim flanking a pass-through door in the southeast eave-facade. The northeast gable-side and the northwest eave-side are blank, except for a small sign in the north corner of the northwest eave-side, with the numerals ‘1321.’
The entire structure has vertical flush-board siding painted red with white trim except for the southeast eave-facade of addition 2, which is painted white. The roof has an projecting overhang and asphalt shingles. 

Historical significance:

The oldest barns still found in the state are called the “English Barn,” “side-entry barn,” “eave entry,” or a 30 x 40. They are simple buildings with rectangular plan, pitched gable roof, and a door or doors located on one or both of the eave sides of the building based on the grain warehouses of the English colonists’ homeland. The name “30 by 40” originates from its size (in feet), which was large enough for 1 family and could service about 100 acres. The multi-purpose use of the English barn is reflected by the building’s construction in three distinct bays - one for each use. The middle bay was used for threshing, which is separating the seed from the stalk in wheat and oat by beating the stalks with a flail. The flanking bays would be for animals and hay storage.

Field Notes

n/a

Use (Historic)

• agriculture

Use (Present)

• unknown

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn
• Carriage House
• Garage
• Other
• Shed
• Shop

Environment features

Relationship to surroundings

The barn is besides and to the south west of the house it is associated with, separated by a driveway. The driveway leads to addition 2 and its four bays as well as a three bay English carriage house behind the barn. The driveway continues south to a fork which runs back to the northwest and to Shelden Street and continues south to a long gable-roofed barn. Just west of the barn is the aforementioned driveway and to the west is a picket fence, that demarcates the northwest corner of the 22.46 acre site. To the northeast of the house, behind a picket fence, is an in-ground pool. To the southeast of the pool is a two bay cow run-in. Behind the long gable-roofed barn to the south is a five bay wagon shed with a shed-roofed addition. Further south is a small gable-roofed shed with a small silo. To the northeast of the barn is a small body of water. To the south of the barn are tracts of open space and woodland, as well as scattered outbuildings throughout the site. The area surrounding the site is residential, active agriculture, open space and woodland.

SPL2 IG Pool - Vinyl/Plastic 600 S.F. 
SHD2 Shed w/Elec 60 S.F.
SHD1 Shed 336 S.F.
FGR3 Garage - Poor 1224 S.F.
FGR1 Garage - Ave 1144 S.F.
FGR3 Garage - Poor 2000 S.F.

PLT1 Pltry Hse 1 Stry 180 S.F. 
BRN1 Barn 1 Story 2160 S.F.
BRN8 Pole Barn 2294 S.F.
SHD2 Shed w/Elec 528 S.F.
FGR6 Garage w/Loft - P 1295 S.F.

AC

Building Typology

• Connected
• English

Materials

• Flush-board
• Vertical Siding

Structural System

n/a

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Gable

Approximate Dimensions

Barn 1 Story 2160 S.F.

Date Compiled

08/24/2010

Compiled By

Todd Levine, reviewed by the Connecticut Trust

Sources

Photographs by Mike Bruns.

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.

Vision Appraisal Online Database. www.visionappraisal.com/Suffieldct.

Map of Suffield, CT, retrieved on Aug 22, 2009 from website www.maps.yahoo.com

The Capitol Region Council of Governments website. http://www.crcog.org/gissearch/