Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

• State Historic Resource Inventory

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a two barn complex towards the east of Barn Hill Road with Barn-I towards the south and Barn-II towards the north. The ridge line of Barn-I runs east-west, perpendicular to the Barn Hill Road while that of Barn-II runs north-south. The following is the description of Barn-II while Barn-I is discussed in http://www.connecticutbarns.org/editor.cgi/2384.

Barn-II: This is a 1 ½ - story eave-entry barn with its ridge line running north-south parallel to Barn Hill Road. The west eave-side of the barn facing the road is the main façade with the main entrance off-centered towards the north through an exterior-hung hooded horse-track sliding wagon door flanked by a six-pane framed window on either side. The undulating grade level along the facade reveals the field stone masonry foundation of the barn. The north gable-end of the barn has an entrance off-centered towards west through a framed hinged pass-through door with a framed six-pane window towards its west. The gable attic lined by cornice board is separated from the rest of the gable-end by a distinct dropped girt siding divide line finished off in saw-tooth detail. A six-pane window with frame can be seen centered in the gable attic. The south gable-end of the barn appears to have an entrance towards the east through a hinged pass-through door and a six-pane window with frame towards the west. The gable attic is separated from the rest of the gable-end by a distinct dropped girt siding divide line finished off in saw-tooth detail. The gable attic is lined by white cornice board and has a six-pane window with frame at the center. The gable-roof of the barn has a louvered cupola with a weather vane at the center.

The wooden frame of the barn is supported on field stone foundation. The barn has asphalt shingle roofing and grey painted vertical siding with white trim. 

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.

Field Notes

Also see Part - 1/2 : http://www.connecticutbarns.org/editor.cgi/2384.

Use (Historic)

• agriculture

Use (Present)

• unknown

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

No

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn
• Cupola
• Other
• Shed
• Stone Walls

Environment features

• Open Land
• Residential
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

The 1 acre property, Account number – 07800500 and Map-Block-Lot number - 078 005 00, is a corner plot located towards the east of Barn Hill Road and the south of Israel Hill Road, bordering the town limits of Monroe and Shelton. The property is situated in a pre-dominantly residential area with the surrounding plots separated by dense woodland. Residential plots can be seen towards the east, south and the west of the property across Barn Hill Road while dense woodland covers the area towards the southeast and the north, across Israel Hill Road. A pond can be seen towards the immediate southeast of the property.

The two barns are located along the eastern edge of the plot with Barn-I towards the south and Barn-II towards the north. The ridge line of Barn-I runs east-west perpendicular to Barn Hill Road while that of Barn-II runs north-south. The circa 1900 colonial main residence is located towards the northwest of Barn-II while a swimming pool located towards its south. Another 1 ½- story eave-entry shed can be seen towards the east of the main residence with its ridge line running east-west. The property has open land along its northern edge. A mortared field stone masonry well is located towards the northwest of Barn-I while field stone retaining wall can be seen towards its north.

Building Typology

• English

Materials

• Fieldstone
• Vertical Siding

Structural System

• Load-bearing Masonry
• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Gable

Approximate Dimensions

Barn: 32 X 24 Sqft, Circa 1979;Shed: 18 X 24 Sqft, Circa 1979;Barn: 12 X 24 Sqft, Circa 1979;Pool: 15 X 27 Sqft, Circa 2004;

Date Compiled

03/31/2011

Compiled By

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

Sources

Field notes and photographs provided by: Lee Hossler, 03/04/2011.

Photographs provided by: Todd Levine, 09/21/2006.

Assessors’ records retrieved on March 31st, 2011 from website http://monroe.univers-clt.com/ .

Assessors’ maps retrieved on March 31st, 2011 from website http://www.monroect.org/ .

Photograph/Information retrieved on March 31st, 2011 from website http://www.google.com

Photograph/Information retrieved on March 31st, 2011 from website http://www.bing.com.

Photograph/Information retrieved on March 31st, 2011 from website http://www.zillow.com.

Donohue, Mary, McCain, Diana Ross, Historic & Architectural Resource Survey of Monroe CT, Connecticut Historical Commission, 2002.

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.