Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1 ½ - story three-bay eave-entry gambrel-roof bank barn with a salt-box roof addition encompassing the entire length of its east eave-side. The ridge line of the barn runs north-south parallel to this portion of Pine Hill Road. The three-bay west eave-side of the barn facing the road is the main façade with the main entrance centered in the middle bay through a double-height X-braced exterior-hung sliding wagon door with missing boards near the grade. A pair of hinged Dutch doors can be seen towards the immediate north of the main entrance while the first bay from the south appears to originally have a double-height entrance which is no longer functional. The grade level along the main west eave-façade of the barn gradually declines towards the south revealing the mortared field-stone masonry of the barn and continues to drop towards the south forming the bank along the south gable-end. The south gable-end of the main barn is flush with the south side-wall of the salt-box roof addition and has an entrance at the bank level entrance towards the east through a hinged pass-through door. The horizontal markings on the siding above the pass-through door entrance suggest that the original entrance to the bank level was through an exterior-hung sliding door. Two single-pane windows with trim at the sill level can be seen towards the west of the pass-through door. The first floor level of the south gable-end of the barn is blank with a distinct girt siding divide line separating the gable attic. The gable attic is lined by deep soffit and has a multi-pane window just below the apex of the roof. The east eave-side of the salt-box roof addition encompassing the entire length of the three-bay east eave-side of the main barn has an entrance centered in the middle bay through a pair of hinged Dutch doors while a window with hinged shutter can be seen in each side bay. The grade level along the north gable-end of the barn gradually inclines towards the west along the mortared field-stone masonry of the bank level. The bank level appears to have a hinged pass-through door towards the extreme east while four windows can be seen equally spaced towards the west. The gable attic lined by deep soffit is separated from the rest of the gable-end by a distinct girt siding divide line and has a window just below the apex of the roof. 

The wooden frame of the barn is supported on mortared field-stone masonry foundation. The barn has asphalt shingles roofing and red painted vertical siding walls.

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.

The 19th century saw the introduction of a basement under the barn to allow for the easy collection and storage of a winter’s worth of manure from the animals sheltered within the building. The bank barn is characterized by the location of its main floor above grade, either through building into a hillside or by raising the building on a foundation.  This innovation, aided by the introduction of windows for light and ventilation, would eventually be joined by the introduction of space to shelter more animals under the main floor of the barn.

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

Barn uphill from house fronting road, modern garage across street (not photographed). Small structure at rear of property not accessible.

Use (Historic)

• agriculture

Use (Present)

• unknown

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Garage
• Other
• Shed

Environment features

• Open Land
• Residential
• Rural
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

The 4.34 acres property, Account Number- 00437900 and Map number- 9/ 2/ 3.2/ / /, is located towards the east of Pine Hill Road. The property is located in a predominantly residential area of suburban character with individual plots separated by woodland. The property is surrounded by residential plots towards the north, south and the west across the road while the area towards the east and the northeast is covered by dense woodland.

The barn is located along the western edge of the property abutting to Pine Hill Road. The ridge line of the barn runs north-south parallel to this portion of the road. The circa 1800 colonial main residence of the property is located towards the southeast of the barn with a swimming pool towards its immediate east. The main residence and the pool are cordoned off from the rest of the plot by a wooden fence. The property is accessed by a driveway towards the south of the main residence and a second driveway towards the north of the barn which continues towards the southwest approaching a pond. A gable-roof shed can be seen towards further west of the pond while fenced pastures can be seen towards the north. The property has open land towards the southeast while dense woodland covers the area towards the east and the northeast.

Building Typology

• Gambrel Bank

Materials

• Fieldstone
• Vertical Siding

Structural System

• Load-bearing Masonry
• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Gambrel
• Saltbox

Approximate Dimensions

Barn: 952 SqFt; Pool: 936 SqFt.

Date Compiled

06/22/2011

Compiled By

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

Sources

Field notes and photographs provided by: Faline Schneiderman, 12/10/2010.

Assessors’ records retrieved on June 22nd, 2011 from website http://data.visionappraisal.com/NewfairfieldCT/DEFAULT.asp

Photograph/Information retrieved on June 22nd, 2011 from website http://www.google.com

Photograph/Information retrieved on June 22nd, 2011 from website http://www.bing.com.

Photograph/Information retrieved on June 22nd, 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.