Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1 ½ - story five-bay barn with entries from both the gable-side and the eave-side. The west eave-side of the barn faces New Haven Road while the ridge line runs north-south, almost parallel to the road. The main façade of the barn is the north gable-façade with the main entrance at the center through an over-head garage door. The five-bay south eave-side of the barn appears to have five entrances, one each in each bay. The south eave-side of the barn opens into a yard with edges defined by cement plastered masonry boundary wall. The south gable-side of the barn has a double-height entrance at the center which is presently boarded. The gable attic above has two closely placed louvered vents just below the apex of the roof. The west eave-side of the barn facing New Haven Road appears to be blank.

The wooden frame of barn has asphalt shingle roofing and vertical siding walls.

Historical significance:

The New England barn or gable front barn was 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 built.

Most ground-level stable barns and free-stall dairy barns built since the 1970s have no hayloft. Instead, the roofs are supported by prefabricated wooden trusses covered with metal roofing. While most single-story truss-roofed barns in New England are constructed with concrete foundations and stud-framed walls, pole barns with open sides are becoming popular, especially for sheltering large herds of dairy cows, heifers, and beef cattle. Many of these large truss-roofed structures are free-stall barns, introduced in the late 1940s.

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
• Other

Environment features

• Open Land
• Residential
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

The 0.91 acres property, parcel number - C0041200 and map number 132, is located towards the east of New Haven Road, Route 17. The property is situated in a pre-dominantly residential area surrounded by other residential plots towards the north, east and the south.

The barn is located almost at the center of the plot amidst an open space with woodland defining the western edge of the property. The barn is accessed by a driveway that runs along its main north gable-façade. The ridge line of the barn runs north-south, almost parallel to the road.

Building Typology

• English
• English/New England Hybrid

Materials

• Vertical Siding

Structural System

• Pole Barn

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Gable

Approximate Dimensions

Barn: 1581 SqFt, Circa 1972

Date Compiled

08/31/2010

Compiled By

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

Sources

Field-notes provided by – Jim McLaughlin

Assessors’ records retrieved on January 27th, 2011 from website http://durham.univers-clt.com

Map and property records retrieved on January 27th, 2011 from website http://www.townofdurhamct.org

Photograph/Information retrieved on January 27th, 2011 from website http://www.google.com

Photographs/Information retrieved on January 27th, 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.