Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

The property is towards the north of Melrose Road and includes three barns: Barn-I in the south-east corner and Barns-II & III towards the north-west of Barn-I. Barn-II & III are arranged with their eave-sides facing each other with Barn-II towards the south and Barn-III towards the north. The ridge lines of the three barns run east-west parallel to each other and Melrose Road.

Barn-I : This is a 1 ½ - story gable-entry barn with a shed-roof addition encompassing the entire length of its north eave-side and another shed-roof addition on its south eave-side towards the east. The south eave-side of the barn faces Melrose Road while the west gable-side is the main façade with main entrance at the center through a pair of double-height exterior-hung sliding wagon doors. Two seven-pane transom windows placed side by side can be seen above the main wagon door entrance. The façade has a six-pane stable window towards the north and an exterior-hung single-leaf sliding pass-through door towards the southern edge. The gable attic above is separated from the rest of the main south gable-façade by a distinct dropped girt siding divide line and has a six-pane window just below the apex of the roof. The west side-wall of the shed-roof addition on the north eave-side of the barn can be seen flush with the main west gable-façade towards the north. The west side-wall of the shed-roof addition has a hinged pass-through door towards the south and a window towards the north.  The south eave-side of the barn facing Melrose Road has a hinged pass-through door off-centered towards the east followed by a small shed-roof addition. A single-pane window can be seen towards the west on the south eave-side of the barn separated by the hinged pass-through door by three boarded windows. The undulating grade level near the south-western corner of the barn reveals the brick masonry footing below.

The wooden frame of the barn is supported on brick masonry footings. The barn has red painted vertical siding and asphalt shingle 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

Also see Part - 2/2, Barns-II & III: http://www.connecticutbarns.org/index.cgi/4432

Use (Historic)

• equestrian

Use (Present)

• equestrian

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn

Environment features

• Active Agriculture
• Open Land
• Residential
• Rural
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

The property is situated towards the west of 169 Melrose Road, Map Number - 10 43 008, and the north of Melrose Road bordering the town line of East Windsor and Enfield. It is located in a predominantly residential area of rural character. Residential plots can be seen towards the west, east and the north while parcels of farm land can be seen towards the north-west and the south, across Melrose Road. The rectilinear property has a relatively narrow frontage to Melrose Road with dense woodland demarcating its eastern edge.

The property includes three barns: Barn-I in the south-eastern corner nearer to Melrose Road and Barns-II & III towards the north-west of Barn-I. The ridge lines of the three barns run east-west parallel to each other and Melrose Road. Barn-II & III are arranged with their eave-sides facing each other with Barn-II towards the south and Barn-III towards the north, separated by a fenced paddock. The circa 1950 main residence of plot number 157 Melrose Road can be seen towards the south-western corner, abutting to the road. The property has parcels of farm land towards the north and dense woodland towards the east.

Building Typology

• New England

Materials

• Brick
• Vertical Siding

Structural System

• Load-bearing Masonry
• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Gable
• Shed

Approximate Dimensions

n/a

Date Compiled

11/18/2010

Compiled By

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

Sources

Assessors’ records retrieved on November 18th, 2010 from website http://www.equalitycama.com/ 

GIS information retrieved on November 18th, 2010 from website http://www.crcog.org/gissearch/

Photograph/Information retrieved on November 18th, 2010 from website http://www.google.com

Information retrieved on November 18th, 2010 from website http://www.zillow.com

O’Gorman, James F., Connecticut Valley Vernacular: the Vanishing Landscape and Architecture of the New England Tobacco Fields, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002, 144 pages.

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.