Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

• National Register

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1 ½ - story gable-entry barn with a cross-gable roof addition towards the south on its west eave-side. The ridge line of the barn runs north-south almost perpendicular to this portion of Flying Point Road. The north gable-end of the barn facing the road is the main façade with the main entrance at the center through a pair of hinged doors with diagonal boards. The gable attic with horizontal siding has an arched window at the center while the rest of the facade has mortared cut-stone masonry. The west eave-side of the barn has a single-pane window towards the north and a paired window with two four-pane modules towards the south. Two skylight inserts can be seen on the gable-roof off-centered towards the south while two metal chimneys can be seen towards the north. The west gable-end of the cross-gable addition has a semi-open porch attached to it while an arched window can be seen centered in the gable attic. The east eave-side of the barn has an entrance towards the south through an over-head garage door flanked by an eight-pane vertical window on its south. The east eave-side of the barn has a stone masonry chimney rising through the gable-roof, off-centered towards the south.

The barn has mortared cut-stone masonry foundation and walls supporting the wooden frame of the gable-roof. The barn has asphalt shingle roofing and horizontal siding on the gable attics.

Historical significance:

The barn is a contributing resource in the Stony Creek/Thimble Islands Historic District, 88002844 NRIS.

Oyster barn: Their major architectural characteristic is a high foundation of traprock or brick with an entrance at basement level so the oyster boats could be unloaded there at high tide.

Field Notes

Oyster barn converted to residential use; walls of local pink Stony Creek granite massive blocks. Contributing resource in the Stony Creek/Thimble Islands Historic District. Ca. 1920. Stony Creek Oyster Company Office Building. Frame Colonial Revival. Photograph 23. Property also includes ca. 1920 stone cottage (C) and ca. 1930 brick cottage (Loether, Sec. 7, p. 4) [The Stony Creek/Thimble Islands Historic District is located in the southeastern corner of the Town of Branford. The district is roughly bounded on the northeast by Route 146; on the east and the southeast by Long Island Sound; and on the west by Long Island Sound, the eastern side of Pleasant Point, and the northern most portions of Thimble Islands Road. The district as a whole maintains its historic integrity to a substantial degree. Including major outbuildings (e.g., garages, barns, and boathouses), it embraces a total of 487 buildings.] [NR- 88002844 NRIS]

Use (Historic)

• agriculture

Use (Present)

• residence

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn
• Garden
• Other

Environment features

• Residential

Relationship to surroundings

The 1.03 acres property, Account number – 008077 and Parcel number - J10/000/005/00034, is a multi-family residential plot surrounding Flying Point Road cul-de-sac. The property is located in Stony Creek/Thimble Islands Historic District, a predominantly residential area of sub-urban character near the shore line. Residential plots flank the property towards the east while it is surrounded by water on the remaining three sides.

The barn is located in the southeastern corner of the property with its ridge line running north-south, almost perpendicular to this portion of Flying Point Road. The property includes two other residences towards the north and the north-west, across the road. A landscaped garden with a pool in its northeast corner can be seen towards the west of the building complex.

Building Typology

• Other Shed

Materials

• Cut Stone
• Horizontal Siding

Structural System

• Load-bearing Masonry

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Gable

Approximate Dimensions

n/a

Date Compiled

05/17/2011

Compiled By

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

Sources

Field notes provided by: Charlotte Hitchcock and John Herzan, 03/20/2011.

Assessors’ information retrieved on May 17th, 2011 from website http://data.visionappraisal.com/BranfordCT/search.asp.

GIS Map retrieved on May 17th, 2011 from website http://www.branfordgis.com/AGS_MAP/default.htm

Loether, J. Paul, Stony Creek/Thimble Islands Historic District, National Register Nomination Number- 88002844 NRIS, National Park Service, 1988.
http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/88002844.pdf
http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Photos/88002844.pdf

Cunningham, Jan, Draft National Register District Nomination for Oyster Point, 1989, section 7 page 2.

Photograph/Information retrieved on May 17th, 2011 from website http://www.google.com

Photograph/Information retrieved on May 17th, 2011 from website http://www.bing.com.

Photograph/Information retrieved on May 17th, 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.