Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural Description:

This is a 1 ½ story tobacco shed. The main facade faces south with its ridge line running north-south. The barn is situated perpendicular to Dug Road and is visible from the street. The main entrance on the south gable-facade is a pair of hinged doors centered on the main level of the barn. Above the dropped girt line there appears to be a hinged haymow door. Above the door is a window opening centered below the apex in the attic gable. The east eave-facade appears to have a pass-through door in the south corner. The north gable-facade also has a pair of hinged doors centered on the main level of the barn and a window opening centered below the apex in the attic gable. The barn has vertical siding that is unpainted with asphalt shingles. The barn has side hinge vents located in any place they can be, covering the exterior of the barn.

Historical Significance:

The tobacco barn, or shed as they are called in the Connecticut River Valley, is one of the most distinctive of the singe-crop barns. They tend to be long, low windowless buildings with pitched roofs. They are characterized by vented sides to regulate air flow and allow harvested tobacco to cure at the appropriate rate.  This is accomplished with one of four different systems: vertical siding with top-hinged vents, vertical siding with side-hinged vents, horizontal siding with top hinged vents, or a series of large doors along one of the long sides of the building with the other sides of the building vented. The interior structural framework served a second purpose in addition to supporting the walls and roof of the building; it provided a framework for the rails used to hang the tobacco as it was curing.

Field Notes

Located in South Glastonbury. This historic tobacco barn is one of the few remaining in the historical farming community of South Glastonbury in close proximity to the Connecticut River. The barn is a prominent feature situated among a small cluster of homes built in the 19060's and 1970's which are surrounded by working farms adjacent to the Connecticut River. While the barn is no longer used for agricultural purposes, it does have a practical and useful purpose as a boat storage facility for boat owners accessing a nearby marina and boat launch on the river. 2010 Barns Grant recipient.

Use (Historic)

• tobacco

Use (Present)

• storage

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn

Environment features

• Active Agriculture
• Residential

Relationship to surroundings

Barn sits 26’ from the road between houses in a quiet road between houses in a quiet residential neighborhood surrounded by farms.

Building Typology

• Tobacco Shed

Materials

• Board & Batten
• Vertical Siding

Structural System

• Post & Beam

Roof materials

• Tin

Roof type

• Gable

Approximate Dimensions

112 x 32.4

Date Compiled

05/12/2010

Compiled By

S. Lessard and T. Levine, reviewed by CT Trust

Sources

Photographs and field notes by Gary and Brenda Straker - 5/12/2010.

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.