Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a multi-unit barn complex towards the east of Perkins Street comprising of a 1 ½ - story multi-bay eave-entry main bank barn, Barn-I, with a 1 ½ - story eave-entry barn, Barn-II, intersecting its west eave-side towards the north. Barn-II has a shed-roof addition encompassing the entire length of its north eave-side. The complex also includes a 1 ½ - story eave-entry gable-roof addition, Barn-III, encompassing the entire length of the north gable-end of Barn-I. The east eave-side of Barn-III is intersected by a 1 ½ - story gable-roof barn, Barn-IV, at the center. The ridge lines of the main barn and its gable-roof addition, Barn-I and Barn-III run north south parallel to Perkins Street while those of the intersecting barns, Barn-II and Barn-IV run east-west.

The west eave-side of Barn-I facing the road is the main façade of the complex with the main entrance at the center through an exterior-hung double-height sliding wagon door and the intersecting Barn-II off-centered towards the north. The grade level towards the north of Barn-II along the main west eave-façade of Barn-I is lower than the level towards the south to form the bank level which has at least five equally spaced stable-windows. The south eave-side of Barn-II has a double-span wagon door entrance towards the extreme west and an over-head garage door at the center. The south eave-side of Barn-II has two hinged pass-through doors; one towards the immediate east of the over-head garage door and the other towards the extreme east. The two pass-through doors are separated by three square windows while a hay door can be seen centered above the over-head garage door. The west gable-end of Barn-II facing the road has two square windows at the first floor level with an exterior-hung sliding hay door centered in the gable-attic. The west side-wall of the shed-roof addition on the north eave-side of Barn-II flush with the west gable-end also has a similar square window in line with the two windows at the first floor level. The north eave-side of the shed-roof addition encompassing the entire length of the north eave-side of Barn-II has a small intersecting gable-roof addition towards the extreme east and appears to have at least three windows equally spaced towards the west. The north gable-end of Barn-I with the gable-roof addition, Barn-III, has a pair of exterior-hung sliding hay doors with diagonal tracks just below the apex of the roof which projects out to form the hay hood. The low grade level along the west eave-façade of Barn-I continues north along the west eave-side of Barn-III flush at the bank level. The west eave-side of Barn-III has an over-head garage door almost at the center flanked by four equally spaced nine-pane stable windows on either side. The north gable-end of the Barn-III originally had an entrance at the center through an exterior-hung sliding wagon door which is now partially covered by a shed-roof addition towards the east. The north gable-end of Barn-III has a nine-pane stable window towards the west and a hinged hay door centered in the gable attic while a louvered vent can be seen just below the apex of the roof. The east eave-side of Barn-III is intersected by Barn-IV at the center and is flush with the east eave-side of Barn-I at the bank level which has a series of windows. The gable-roof of Barn-I has four equally spaced metal ventilators along the ridge line while that of Barn-II has two metal ventilators. A similar metal ventilator can be centered on the gable-roof of Barn-III. 

The wooden frame of the barn complex is supported on cement plastered masonry foundation. The barn complex has metal roofing and while painted horizontal clapboard siding on 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.

Field Notes

The barn is currently owned by the Town of Bristol and is located in the 400 block on Perkins Street. It was formerly part of the Clinton S Roberts property. Historically it was used for dairy cattle and the fields were used for hay. It is currently in a residential area with the property open land used as a recreational area.

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 3 acres property, Account number – 0151432 and Map-Lot-unit number - 60/ / 16-3/ /, is land with outbuildings located towards the east of Perkins Street and the south of James P Casey Road. The property is situated in a predominantly residential area with individual plots separated by woodland and open land. Farm land with farm houses can be seen towards the west of the plot across Perkins Street while a patch of dense woodland covers the area towards the north. Open land can also be seen towards the east and the south of the property.

The multi-unit barn complex is located along the western edge of the plots abutting to Perkins Street. The ridge line of the main barn runs north-south parallel to the road. The barn complex encloses a fenced yard towards its immediate east while open land surrounds the complex towards the east and the south.

Building Typology

• English Bank

Materials

• Clapboard
• Concrete

Structural System

• Load-bearing Masonry
• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Metal

Roof type

• Gable
• Shed

Approximate Dimensions

Barn: 1568 Sqft; Barn: 1800 Sqft; Barn: 4200 Sqft; Shed: 200 Sqft; Shed: 1920 Sqft; Shed: 280 Sqft;

Date Compiled

04/28/2011

Compiled By

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

Sources

Field notes and photographs provided by: Cherie Robinson, 03/05/2011.

Assessors’ records retrieved on April 28th, 2011 from website http://data.visionappraisal.com/BristolCT/DEFAULT.asp.
 
Photograph/Information retrieved on April 28th, 2011 from website http://www.google.com .

Photograph/Information retrieved on April 28th, 2011 from website http://www.bing.com .

Photograph/Information retrieved on April 28th, 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.