Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1 ½ - story gable-entry monitor-roof barn with its ridge line running north-south, almost perpendicular to this portion of Hammertown Road. The south gable-end of the barn faces the road while the north gable-end appears to be the main façade with the main entrance. The west eave-side of the barn is blank while the south gable-end has a two-pane sliding window just below the apex of the roof. The undulating grade level along the south gable-end reveals the cement plastered masonry foundation of the barn. The east eave-side of the barn also appears to be blank.

The wooden frame of the barn is supported on cement plastered masonry foundation. The barn has asphalt shingle roofing and vertical siding. The lower level of the monitor-roof is covered by plastic sheets and appears to have recently done roofing.

Historical significance:

The New England barn or gable front barn was the successor to the English barn and relies on a
gable entry rather than an entry under the eaves. The gable front offers many practical advantages.
Roofs drain off the side, rather than flooding the dooryard. With the main drive floor running
parallel to the ridge, the size of the barn could be increased to accommodate larger herds by adding
additional bays to the rear gable end. Although it was seen by many as an improvement over the
earlier side-entry English Barn, the New England barn did not replace its predecessor but rather
coexisted with it, as both types continued to be built.

Field Notes

This unusal style barn is called a Monitor Style and is found mostly in the southwestern and prairie states. Very unusual in New England. This barn has T-11 type vertical siding and entrance door on one end. Date of build is unknown as is the use.

Use (Historic)

• agriculture

Use (Present)

• unknown

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Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Other
• Shed

Environment features

• Residential
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

The 1.25 acres property, Account number – 12300600 and Map-Block-Lot number - 123 006 00, is located towards the north of Hammertown Road, bordering the town limits of Monroe and Newtown. It is situated in a sparsely populated residential area with individual plots separated by dense woodland. The tracks of Penn Central Railroad, formerly Housatonic Railroad Company Inc., run towards the north of the property while residential plots can be seen towards the west and the south, across the road. A creek flows along the western edge of the property while a medium sized pond can be seen towards the southwest, along Hammertown Road.

The barn is located in the southwest corner of the property with its ridge line running north-south, almost perpendicular to this portion of the road. The creek runs towards the immediate west of the barn while dense woodland can be seen towards the north. The circa 1971 ranch style main residence is located towards the northeast, with its ridge line running at an angle from the southeast to the northwest. A small gable-roof shed can be seen towards the north of the main residence with its ridge line running east-west. The property is surrounded by woodland in all directions. 

Building Typology

• New England

Materials

• Concrete
• Vertical Siding

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Structural System

• Load-bearing Masonry
• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

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Roof type

• Monitor

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Approximate Dimensions

Barn: 20 X 24 SqFt, Circa 1980.

Date Compiled

04/26/2011

Compiled By

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

Sources

Field notes and photographs provided by: Lee Hossler, 03/28/2011.

Assessors’ records retrieved on April 26th, 2011 from website http://monroe.univers-clt.com/ .

Assessors’ maps retrieved on April 26th, 2011 from website http://www.monroect.org/ .

Photograph/Information retrieved on April 26th, 2011 from website http://www.google.com

Photograph/Information retrieved on April 26th, 2011 from website http://www.bing.com.

Photograph/Information retrieved on April 26th, 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.