Yale Horse Barn & Sugar House (34 Windrow Road, Norfolk (Northwest Highlands))

Designations

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 2 ½-story gambrel-roofed barn structure with a gable-roofed addition oriented with its ridge-line parallel to Windrow Road, which runs east-west. Located on the main level in the center of the west gable-façade of the barn is a pair of swinging hinged barn doors. Each barn door has nine-pane window on the upper half of the door. Flanking either side of the barn doors of the west gable-façade on the main level is a six-pane window. Located on the second level of the west gable-façade of the barn, immediately above the swinging hinged barn doors, is a pair of swinging hinged loft doors. Flanking either side of the loft doors of the west gable-façade on the second level is a nine-pane window. A single leaf drop hay door with double-X bracing on the lower half of the door is located in the gable attic of the west gable-façade of the barn. Visible above the hay door is a hay track, trolley and hay hoist. Located in the center of the south eave-side of the barn is a half-hip roofed shallow expansion. In the center of the half-hip roofed expansion, on the main level, is a single pass-through door with what appears to be a nine-pane window in the upper half of the door. Above the pass-through door is a shed-roofed canopy with brackets. Flanking either side of the pass-through door on the half-hip roofed expansion is a twelve-pane window. On the west and east halves of the south eave-side of the barn are a pair of twelve-pane windows. Located in the dormer of the half-hip roofed expansion on the south eave-side of the barn are a pair of nine-pane windows. Located on the eastern most half of the north-eave side on the main level of the barn is a twelve-pane window. Extending to the west from this twelve-pane window to the center of the north eave- side on the main level of the barn are a row of four nine-pane windows. Located on the west half of the north eave-side of the barn is a gable-roofed addition. Located on the east eave-side of the gable-roofed addition there appears to be a large window opening with multiple panes. Located in the center of the north gable-end of the gable-roofed addition is a stone chimney stack. Flanking either side of the chimney stack in the gable attic of the north gable-end of the gable-roofed addition is a nine-pane window. The barn has fieldstone walls on the main level and unpainted vertical siding on the second and attic levels. The doors on the main level of the barn and opening trim on all levels of the barn are painted green. The roof has asphalt shingles and a projecting overhang with shallow hay hoods on the gable-end with roof brackets. Located in the center of the ridge-line of the barn is an octagonal cupola with concaved roof and vertical louvers and is topped with a weather vane.

There are three additional barn structures located near the main barn. Located to the northeast of the main barn is a 1 ½-story gable-roofed barn with a gable-roofed addition. The gable-roofed addition extends to the south off of the south-gable end of the barn. Oriented with its ridge-line perpendicular to the ridge-line of the main barn, the main entry is a large garage opening on the south gable-façade of the gable-roofed addition. An exterior light fixture is located over the garage door. The west eave-side of the gable-roofed barn has a single pass-through door and window located on the south half and a pair of windows located on the north half. The barn has unpainted vertical siding. The roofs have a projecting overhangs and asphalt shingles. A monitor is located in the center of the ridge-line of the gable-roofed barn. Located to the southeast of the main barn is a 1 ½ -story gable-roofed barn with a shed-roofed addition. Oriented with its ridge-line parallel to the ridge-line of the main barn, the main entry is an overhead garage door located on the west gable-façade of the barn. The garage door appears to be an eighteen panel door with a row of six-pane windows on the bottom portion of the upper half of the door. A shed-roofed addition extends from the west half of the south eave-side of the barn. A single pass-through door with a nine-pane window in the upper half is located on the west side of the shed-roofed addition. The west gable-façade of the barn and west side of the shed-roofed addition has unpainted vertical siding while the south eave-side of the barn and south side of the shed-roofed addition has fieldstone. The doors on the gable-roofed barn and shed-roofed addition are painted green. The roofs have projecting overhangs and asphalt shingles. Located to the southwest of the main barn is a 1 ½-story gable-roofed barn with a gable-roofed addition. Oriented with its ridge-line parallel to the ridge-line of the main barn, the main entry is an overhead garage door located on the east gable-façade of the barn. The garage door appears to be a fifteen panel door with two rows of five-pane windows on the bottom and center portions of the upper half of the door. A single pass-through door is located on the east half of the south-eave side of the barn. A six-over-one double hung sash window is located in the center of the south-eave side of the barn. The gable-roofed addition extends to the south off of the west half of the south eave-side of the barn. The east eave-side of the gable-roofed addition has a six-over-one double hung sash window. The barn has unpainted vertical siding except for the south gable-end of the gable-roofed addition on the main level which is fieldstone. The doors are on the gable-roofed barn are painted green. The roofs have projecting overhangs and appear to be asphalt shingle.

Historical significance:

The New England barn or gable front barn is 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 constructed.

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.

Field Notes

Beautiful old stone horse barn whose architect was Alfredo Taylor. Contributing resource in the Sports Building nomination, part of the A.S.G. Taylor Thematic Group National Register Nomination No. 84001088, 1984.

Use (Historic)

agriculture

Use (Present)

unknown

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

Environment features

Relationship to surroundings

The barn is behind to the north of the c. 1930 Cape Cod-style house it is associated with. Two fieldstone pillars are located in front of the main barn where the main drive becomes circular around the barn. The total size of the site is 1.72 acres. The area surrounding the site is residential and woodland.

Building Typology

Materials

Approximate Dimensions

3600 S.F. (main barn)

Date Compiled

03/13/2011

Compiled By

A. Ehrgott & T. Levine, reviewed by CT Trust

Sources

Field notes and photographs by John Milnes Baker date 10/30/2010.

Town of Norfolk Assessor’s Record http://data.visionappraisal.com/NorfolkCT/findpid.asp#closest

Parcel ID: 1525

Aerial Mapping:
http://www.bing.com/maps accessed 03/13/2011.
http://www.visionappraisal.com/photos/NorfolkCTPhotos//00/00/13/57.jpg

Ransom, David F., A.S.G. Taylor Thematic Group National Register Nomination No. 84001088, National Park Service, 1984.

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.

Historic Barns of Connecticut

Barn Record Norfolk