Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a three barn complex towards the west of the intersection of Sharon Turnpike and Milton Road consisting of Barn-I towards the south and Barn-II towards its northeast. The ridge lines of Barn-I and Barn-II run north-south perpendicular to Milton Road but at an angle to Sharon Turnpike which runs from the southeast to the northwest. The third barn, Barn-III is located towards the east of Barn-I with its ridge line running east-west. The following is the description of Barn-I while Barn-II and Barn-III are discussed in - http://www.connecticutbarns.org/index.cgi/37902.

Barn-I: This is a 2 ½ - story eave-entry barn with its south gable-end facing Milton Road. The main façade of the barn is the east eave-façade with three main entrances towards the north through three over-head garage doors. The façade has a fourth entrance towards the south through a wagon door with a relatively lower lintel level. A six-pane window with trim can be seen above the wagon door entrance at the second floor level, off-centered towards the south. The south gable-end of the barn appears to be symmetrical along the central line through the apex of the roof with two three-over-three double-hung sash windows with trim at the first floor level and two six-pane stable windows with trim at the second floor level. The gable attic has deep soffit and a six-over-six double-hung sash window with trim just below the apex of the roof.

The wooden frame of the barn appears to be supported on cement plastered masonry foundation. The barn has red painted vertical siding and asphalt shingle roofing.

Historical significance:

The oldest barns still found in the state are called the “English Barn,” “side-entry barn,” “eave entry,” or a 30 x 40. They are simple buildings with rectangular plan, pitched gable roof, and a door or doors located on one or both of the eave sides of the building based on the grain warehouses of the English colonists’ homeland. The name “30 by 40” originates from its size (in feet), which was large enough for 1 family and could service about 100 acres. The multi-purpose use of the English barn is reflected by the building’s construction in three distinct bays - one for each use. The middle bay was used for threshing, which is separating the seed from the stalk in wheat and oat by beating the stalks with a flail. The flanking bays would be for animals and hay storage.

Field Notes

House dates to 1780 One barn is behind the house on NE side; 3 barns associated, on the west side. Also see part - 1/2 : http://www.connecticutbarns.org/index.cgi/37902.

Use (Historic)

• agriculture

Use (Present)

• unknown

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn

Environment features

• Open Land
• Residential
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

The 6.72 acres property, account number - 00203200, map & lot number- 07/008 / 019/00 / is a triangular corner plot located towards the west of the intersection of Sharon Turnpike and Milton Road, with Sharon Turnpike forming its edge towards the north and Milton Road forming its edge towards the south. The property is situated in a pre-dominantly residential area with residential plots towards the east, west and the south, across Milton Road. Dense woodland covers the area towards the north of the property, across Sharon Turnpike.

The three barn complex is located almost at the center of the plot with Barn-I towards the south and Barn-II towards its northeast. The third barn, Barn-III is located towards the east of Barn-I. The property is accessed by a driveway that runs through the barn complex from north to south, connecting Sharon Turnpike and Milton Road. The ridge lines of Barn-I and Barn-II run north-south perpendicular to Milton Road but at an angle to Sharon Turnpike which runs from the southeast to the northwest. The ridge line of Barn-III runs east-west. The circa 1780 colonial style main residence is located towards the south of the barn complex, abutting to Milton Road. A fourth 1 ½ - story eave-entry barn with its ridge line running north-south can be seen towards the south of Barn-I. The property has patches of open land on either side of the barn complex while cluster of trees define the southern edge along Milton Road. Dense woodland covers the area towards the north and the west of the barn complex. 

Building Typology

• English

Materials

• Concrete
• Vertical Siding

Structural System

• Load-bearing Masonry
• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Gable

Approximate Dimensions

Barn with loft: 850 SqFt; Barn: 1200 SqFt; Barn with loft: 1056 SqFt; Barn: 224 SqFt.

Date Compiled

02/24/2011

Compiled By

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

Sources

Photographs and field notes provided by Lynne Williamson.

Assessors’ records retrieved on February 24th , 2011 from website http://data.visionappraisal.com/GoshenCT/

Photograph/Information retrieved on February 24th, 2011 from website http://www.google.com

Photograph/Information retrieved on February 24th, 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.