Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 2 ½ - story multi-bay gable-entry Dutch gambrel-roof barn with an intersecting gable-roof addition on its west eave-side encompassing the first bay from the north. The north gable-end of the barn faces Maple Street while its east eave-side faces Swift Lane. The ridge line of the barn runs north-south almost perpendicular to his portion of Maple Street. The south gable-end of the barn is the main façade with the main entrance at the center through a pair of exterior-hung X-braced sliding wagon doors with a shed-roof over-hang. The main entrance to the barn is flanked by a paired one-over-one double-hung sash window towards the west and a paired six-over-one double-hung sash window on its east. The first floor level of the main façade has an X-braced hay door at the center which appears to be sliding on interior-hung tracks. The gable attic is lined by deep soffit and has a louvered vent just below the apex of the roof. The west eave-side of the barn has an entrance towards the extreme south through a hinged X-braced pass-through door and a second pass-through door almost at the center. The two entrances are separated by six one-over-one double-hung sash windows. The west eave-side appears to have a third pass-through door towards the immediate north of the pass-through door at the center. At least two other windows can be seen towards the north of this pass-through door. The west eave-side of the barn has a shed-roof dormer at the center flanked by two roof sky-lights on its north. The west eave-side of the shed-roof dormer has two closely spaced six-pane windows. The south eave-side of the intersecting gable-roof addition on the west eave-side of the main barn is blank while a window is centered on its west gable-end. The north eave-side of the gable-roof addition has an entrance at the center through a hinged pass-through door with a gable-roof overhang. The north gable-end of the main barn has a square hip-roof addition connected towards the west which appears to be the imitation of an original silo. The east eave-side of the barn has wooden fence cordoning the center while a shed-roof dormer is centered on the roof. The east eave-side of the shed-roof dormer has two closely spaced six-pane windows. The east eave-side of the main barn has an entrance towards the south through an X-braced hinged pass-through door with three paired six-over-six double-hung sash windows towards its north. A second entrance followed by few windows can be seen towards the north of the fence. The Dutch gambrel-roof of the barn has two steel ventilators along the ridge line, one each towards either gable-end. A third steel ventilator can be seen centered above the intersecting gable-roof.
 
The wooden frame of the barn has asphalt shingles roofing and red painted horizontal siding walls with white painted corner boards and trim.

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.

By the early 20th century agricultural engineers developed a new approach to dairy barn design: the ground-level stable barn, to reduce the spread of tuberculosis bacteria by improving ventilation, lighting, and reducing the airborne dust of manure. A concrete slab typically serves as the floor for the cow stables. Many farmers converted manure basements in older barns into ground-level stables with concrete floors. Some older barns were jacked up and set on new first stories to allow sufficient headroom. With the stables occupying the entire first story, the space above serves a a hayloft. By the 1920s most ground-level stable barns were being constructed with lightweight balloon frames using two-by-fours or two-by-sixes for most of the timbers. Novelty or tongue-and-groove beveled siding is common on the walls, although asbestos cement shingles also were a popular sheathing. Some barns have concrete for the first-story walls, either poured in place or built up out of blocks.
The gambrel roof design was universally accepted as it enclosed a much greater volume than a gable roof did, and its shape could be formed with trusses. Also see entry for Pole Barn.

Field Notes

This barn was a dairy barn until the 1960s. The property was purchased for elderly housing and the barn was converted into common space where meals are served and meetings are held.The barn is in a residential area. Gambrel, wood frame, asphalt shingle roof, clapboard siding. Dimensions: 30 X 100.

Use (Historic)

• dairy

Use (Present)

• re-use

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

n/a

Environment features

• Commercial
• Residential

Relationship to surroundings

The 2.8 acres property, Account Number- 00203300 and MBLU number- 19/ 12/ 4/ / /, is located toward the west of Swift Lane. The multi unit housing for elderly people is located in a mixed land use area. Few residential plots can be seen towards the west and the northeast of the property across the road while the area commercial and retail units can be seen along Maple Street and South Main Street.

The barn is located towards the northern edge of the property with its ridge line running north-south, almost perpendicular to Maple Street. The property is accessed from Maple Street via Swift Lane which continues south forming the eastern edge of the plot while its western edge is demarcated by cluster of trees.

Building Typology

• Gambrel
• Ground-Level Stable

Materials

• Clapboard
• Horizontal Siding

Structural System

• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Dutch Gambrel
• Gable

Approximate Dimensions

96X34 SqFt.

Date Compiled

06/02/2011

Compiled By

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

Sources

Field notes provided by: Dick Lindsey,

Assessors’ information retrieved on June 2nd, 2011 from website http://data.visionappraisal.com/KentCT/DEFAULT.asp

Photograph/Information retrieved on June 2nd, 2011 from website http://www.google.com

Photograph/Information retrieved on June 2nd, 2011 from website http://www.bing.com.

Photograph/Information retrieved on June 2nd, 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.