Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

• National Register

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 2 ½ - story three-bay eave-entry barn with a basement. The barn has a cross-gable wall-dormer centered on its south eave-side and a gable-roof addition encompassing the entire length of its east gable-end. The ridge lines of both the main barn and the gable-roof addition run east-west almost parallel to this portion of prospect Hill Road. The three-bay south eave-side of the barn facing the road is the main façade with the main entrance centered in the middle bay through a pair of double-height Z-braced hinged wagon doors with lintel trim and blacksmith hardware. The façade presently has a second entrance towards the east through a hinged pass-through door which has replaced the original six-over-six double-hung sash window. The original six-over-six double-hung sash window centered in the first bay from the west has also been replaced by a one-over-one double-hung sash window. The second floor level of the main façade has a two pane window at the center instead of the original pair of hinged hay doors with blacksmith hardware. This two-pane window has decorative trim at the sill level and an ornate band at the lintel level separating the gable attic of the cross-gable wall-dormer. The gable attic of the cross-gable wall-dormer is lined by deep soffit and has an arched window opening at the center. The original window was through an arched six-over-six double-hung sash window with trim which was later replaced by an arched one-over-one double-hung sash window. The south eave-side of the gable-roof addition on the east gable-end of the main barn is flush with the south eave-façade and has a double-span entrance through an over-head garage door accessed from a relatively low grade-level. The gable-roof addition originally had L-shaped foot print which has been later extended to complete the rectangular plan. The west gable-end of the barn has two one-over-one double-hung sash windows at the first floor level with decorative trim. The two windows appear to be separated by an original window at the center which has been later sealed. The west gable-end of the barn has a similar one-over-one double-hung sash window centered at the second floor level with a decorative lintel trim that separates it from an arched one-over-one double-hung sash window positioned just below the apex of the roof. The gable attic of the west gable-end of the barn is lined by deep soffit and fascia board with raking detail. The gable-roof of the barn with the cross-gable dormer has an elaborate cupola at the center accented by brackets and an ornate finial. Each side-wall of the cupola has an arched two-over-two double-hung sash window at the center.

The wooden frame of the barn appears to be supported on field-stone masonry foundation. The barn has asphalt shingle roofing and light brown painted vertical siding walls.

Historical significance:

The barn is associated with William J. Clark House, Henry Austin Architect,which is listed on the NR [72001322 NRIS] and is also a contributing resource to Stony Creek/Thimble Islands Historic District [88002844 NRIS].

The wagon door entrances, decorative details and the proximity of the barn to the main residence suggest the probable usage of the barn has a carriage house.

Until the 1830s, the horses used for riding and driving carriages were often kept in the main barn along with the other farm animals. By the 1850s, some New England farmers built separate horse stables and carriage houses. Early carriage houses were built just to shelter a carriage and perhaps a sleigh, but no horses. The pre-cursor to the twentieth-century garage, these outbuildings are distinguished by their large hinged doors, few windows, and proximity to the dooryard.
The combined horse stable and carriage house continued to be a common farm building through the second half of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth century, until automobiles became common. Elaborate carriage houses were also associated with gentlemen farms and country estates of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Another form of carriage barn, the urban livery stable, served the needs of tradespeople.

Field Notes

William J. Clark House, Henry Austin Architect, individual listing on NR 1972, also in Stony Creek/Thimble Islands Historic District. 1878-80. William J. Clark House. A: Henry Austin, New Haven. Frame Stick. Individually listed on the National Register in 1972 under former street number, 34. Barn (Section 7, p. 8)[NR 72001322 NRIS] [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)

• carriage barn

Use (Present)

• unknown

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn
• Carriage House
• Cupola
• Garden
• Shed

Environment features

• Open Land
• Residential
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

The 1.38 acres property, Account number – 004810 and Parcel number -K10/000/002/00033, is located towards the north of Prospect Hill Road in Stony Creek/Thimble Islands Historic District. The property has a relatively narrow frontage to the road and spreads out towards the north. It is situated in a predominantly residential area of sub-urban character with individual plots separated by woodland and water bodies. Residential plots flank the property towards the east and the west while a patch of open land can be seen towards the south across the road, abutting to the ocean. Dense woodland can be seen along the northern edge of the plot which screens it from the open land dotted with water bodies towards the north.

The barn is located in the southeast corner of the property while the circa 1878 stick style main residence is located towards the southwest, abutting to the road. The ridge line of the barn runs east-west almost parallel to this portion of Prospect Hill Road. The property is accessed by a driveway towards the east of the main residence which continues north to approach the barn. A 1 ½ - story gable-roof outbuilding with stick style ornamentation can be seen towards the northwest of the barn. The ridge line of the outbuilding runs north-south. The rest of the property has gardens and landscaped areas surrounding the barn and the main residence.

Building Typology

• Carriage House

Materials

• Fieldstone
• Vertical Siding

Structural System

• Load-bearing Masonry
• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Gable

Approximate Dimensions

n/a

Date Compiled

05/13/2011

Compiled By

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

Sources

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

Assessors’ information retrieved on May 13th, 2011 from website http://data.visionappraisal.com/BranfordCT/search.asp.

GIS Map retrieved on May 13th, 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

Babbitt, Susan, Stick Style House at Stony Creek, National Register Nomination Number – 72001322 NRIS, National Park Service, 1972.
http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/72001322.pdf
http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Photos/72001322.pdf

Photograph/Information retrieved on May 13th, 2011 from website http://www.google.com

Photograph/Information retrieved on May 13th, 2011 from website http://www.bing.com.

Photograph/Information retrieved on May 13th, 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.