Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 2-story gambrel roofed, gable entry dairy barn.  The main facade faces west and the ridge-line of the barn is perpendicular to Simons Pond Road, which runs approximately north-south.  However, the main west gable-facade can not be seen.  The north and south eave-sides of the barn can not be seen in the photographs except for one-story cross-gable additions projecting off of each of the eave sides towards the east gable-end. The north eave-side cross gable entry is located towards the northeast corner of the barn. The addition has a rectangular window opening, below the eave on the east side of the entry and a door on the east side of the entry towards the northeast corner.  The south eave-side cross gable entry is located towards the southeast corner of the barns facade.  All that can be seen is that there is a double eighteen-paned window centered on the east side of the entry.  The south side of the entry has a hinged wooden door towards the southeast corner of the entry that opens outward towards the west.  There are also ventilation louvers in the gable and exposed rafter tails can be seen.  The east gable-end is composed of a shed addition on the main level.  There is a hinged door centered on the main level of the addition.  On each side of the entrance is a triple window that is right below the eave and is centered in each bay.  In the east-gable end right below the apex of the roof is a small opening.  The barn is clad in horizontal wood siding painted white.  The gable-ends have exposed purlin ends. The main story of the barn, as well as the side entries and shed addition, are load bearing cobblestone.  The roof has a slight dutch flare, is clad in metal and has four lightening rods spaced evenly across the ridge-line.

Historical significance:

The term dairy barn is used as early as the 18th century (along with “cow house”). Modern dairy barns are characterized by their interior arrangements of stanchions and gutters to facilitate milking and the removal of manure. In some cases this is just a few stalls in the corner of a barn, in others it can be a large barn dedicated to that single purpose. 

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.

Historical background:

The main village of the Town of Colebrook, which is located in northwestern Connecticut, is situated in a small valley surrounded by wooded hills.  It consists of a cluster of historic residential, commercial and institutional buildings and sites dating from 1767 to about 1920.

Field Notes

My favorite Barn in Colebrook, CT. Bob Griggs, Colebrook Historian indicated that this Barn was constructed in the 1940's and he mentioned a mans name, Duncan Wilbur who was associated with the property. Property is on the corner of Simons Pond Road and Beech Hill Road.

Use (Historic)

• dairy

Use (Present)

• agriculture

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Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn

Environment features

• Active Agriculture
• Residential
• Rural
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

The barn is located to the slightly to the west of all the structures on the site.  The ridge-line of the barn is parallel to most of the structures and perpendicular to Simons Pond Road.  There are several other structures on the site.  To the north is another barn, and to the south are four other structures:  two sheds, a garage and small barn.  Approximately north of the barn is open land strewn with rocks and debris.  Approximately west of the barn is active agriculture.  To the east of the site is a small pond.  The area surrounding the site is active agricultural, residential, rural, and woodland.  The total size of the property is 26.91 acres. The property is about 3.2 miles northeast from Colebrook, the nearest major town center.

Building Typology

• Gambrel
• Ground-Level Stable

Materials

• Cobblestone
• Horizontal Siding

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Structural System

• Load-bearing Masonry
• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Metal

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Roof type

• Gothic

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Approximate Dimensions

n/a

Date Compiled

02/08/2011

Compiled By

R. Parris & T. Levine; reviewed by CT Trust

Sources

Field notes and photographs by Robert VanCott date 08/23/2010.

Town of Colebrook Assessor’s Record or GIS Viewer   http://data.visionappraisal.com/ColebrookCT/findpid.asp?iTable=pid&pid=100242
Parcel ID: 20020001

Aerial Mapping: http://maps.google.com accessed 02/08/2010.

Cunningham, Jan, Colebrook Center Historic District Nomination No. 91000953, National Park Service, 1991.

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.