Hi-Land Farm [Part - 2/2] (151 R Maiden Lane, Durham (Central Valley))

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a three barn complex towards the south of Maiden Road with Barn-I towards the north, Barn-II in the middle and a chicken coop towards the south.

Coop: This is a 400 feet long 1 - story rectilinear flat-roof chicken coop with its longer north-side facing Maiden Lane. The main façade of the coop is the north-façade with a shed-roof addition towards the east and two main entrances through two pairs of hinged wagon doors: one towards the west of the shed-roof addition and the other towards the western edge. The north and the south sides of the coop are lined by a series of windows arranged in two levels. The windows are arranged in modules of six with three windows at each level. A water tank can be seen mounted on the flat-roof of the coop towards the east.
The chicken coop is supported on cement plastered masonry foundation and has a flat concrete roof.

Barn-II: This is a 1 ½ - story L-shaped eave-entry barn with an intersecting gable-roof on its east eave-side. The north gable-side of the barn faces Maiden Lane while the ridge line runs north-south perpendicular to the road. The main façade of the barn is the east eave-façade which has an intersecting gable-roof towards the south and a shed-roof addition encompassing the remaining length of the façade.
The wooden frame of the barn is supported on cement plastered masonry foundation. The barn has vertical siding and asphalt shingle roofing.

Historical significance;

Typical poultry houses (chicken coops) and brooder houses for raising the young laying hens, have rows of south-facing windows to provide ample light for the hens. Windows may be square, in pairs or rows, fixed or sliding.

Poultry farming grew in popularity during the second half of the 19th century, and by the early 20th century most farms had small chicken coops. These lightly-built structures often feature a gabled or shed roof and large windows on the south side. Often chicken coops have a small stove and chimney for heat to protect young chicks during cold weather. Small openings near the ground provide the fowl with access to the yard. Inside are nesting boxes for the laying hens. During the 1930s and 1940s, poultry farming was adopted by many farmers in New England as a replacement for dairy farming.

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

Also see Part - 1/2: http://www.connecticutbarns.org/index.cgi/30043

Use (Historic)

poultry

Use (Present)

poultry

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

Environment features

Relationship to surroundings

The 10.61 acres property, parcel number - C0042900 and map number 39, is a corner plot located towards the south of Maiden Lane and the east of Pickett Lane. The L-shaped plot is situated in a pre-dominantly residential area with residential plots towards the east and the west. Coginchaug Regional High School is located towards the south, separated from the property by dense woodland.

This is a three barn complex with Barn-I located towards the northern edge of the property with its ridge line running east-west parallel to Maiden Lane. The property is accessed by a driveway towards the east of the barn which continues further south. Two small gable-roof sheds can be seen towards the south-west of the barn with their ridge lines running along east-west. A 1 ½ - story large gable-roof barn with an intersecting gable-roof on its east eave-side, Barn-II is located towards further north of the main barn. The circa 1953 ranch style main residence is located towards the east of this barn. A 400’ long rectilinear poultry house, Coop, can be seen immediately towards the south the main residence. A shed-roof shed and another small gable-roof shed can be seen near the main residence while a pond is located towards its north, across the driveway. The property has parcels of open land towards the north and the south with dense woodland demarcating its eastern, southern and western edges.

Building Typology

Materials

Structural System

Roof materials

Roof type

Gable
Shed

Approximate Dimensions

Barn: 8500 SqFt, Circa 1975 Shed: 12X12 SqFt, Circa 1930 Poultry house: 36X400 SqFt, Circa 1954 Shed: 1174 SqFt, Circa 1954 Barn: 30X44 SqFt, Circa 1920 Barn: 28X35 SqFt, Circa 1920 Shed: 12X15 SqFt, Circa 1960

Date Compiled

11/02/2011

Compiled By

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

Sources

Photographs provided by Jim McLaughlin

Assessors’ records retrieved on February 11th , 2011 from website http://durham.univers-clt.com

Map and property records retrieved on February 11th , 2011 from website http://www.townofdurhamct.org

Photograph/Information retrieved on February 11th , 2011 from website http://www.google.com

Photograph/Information retrieved on February 11th , 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.

Historic Barns of Connecticut

Barn Record Durham