Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This appears to be a 19th-century bank barn enlarged with later additions in the 1900s, probably by Charles Hartwell. This appears to be one of the only outbuildings to remain from one of the old farms in this area. The barn stands on the northwest corner of Walker Brook Road on a northward sloping site; front faces onto Judds Bridge Road. A ridge and woods rise to the north. To the northeast, the road passes over Walker Brook next to old sawmill. Features include: (no dimensions); multi-part barn oriented to the south and banked to the north; intersecting gables; one-story rectangular milk house extends at lower level, from east elevation; long shed-roofed wing on concrete-block base runs on west elevation at lower level; poured concrete silo stands to north; roller doors on west gable façade; stone foundation; some concrete block; overhanging eaves; vertical tongue-and-groove barn board; drop siding; red paint with white trim.

Historical significance:

The New England barn or gable front barn is 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 constructed.

The 19th century would see the introduction of a basement under the barn to allow for the easy collection and storage of a winter’s worth of manure from the animals sheltered within the building. The bank barn is characterized by the location of its main floor above grade, either through building on a hillside or by raising the building on a foundation. This innovation, aided by the introduction of windows for light and ventilation, would eventually be joined by the introduction of space to shelter more animals under the main floor of the barn.

The term dairy barn is used as early as the 18th century (along with “cow house”). Modern dairy barns are characterized by their interior arrangements of stanchions and gutters to facilitate milking and the removal of manure.  In some cases this is just a few stalls in the corner of a barn, in others it can be a large barn dedicated to that single purpose.

Field Notes

Information from a survey of Roxbury by Rachel Carley. This area, known as Judds Bridge, was named for an early farmer who built a bridge across the river. The valley had been a self-contained farm community, overlapping the New Milford and Washington lines. Charles Hartwell, a farmer, lived here when Raoul Metcalf began buying up farms to create a large dairy operation around 1932. A gentleman farmer, Metcalf assembled his acreage by acquiring some 15 farms in the Shepaug River Valley with the help of realtor George DeVoe, who subsequently managed the farm for him from 1933 to 1947. Charlie Hartwell remained in the house for a time and worked for Metcalf. Hartwell ran a store and post office next to a small rail depot, which still stands on the north side of Judds Bridge Road. When Metcalf died in 1965, some of the land was sold in bits and pieces, but the publisher Arthur Carter later purchased a large portion. Barn located at the corner of Judds Bridge Road and Walker Brook Road. Could be in Bridgewater.

Use (Historic)

• agriculture

Use (Present)

• unknown

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Shed
• Silo

Environment features

• Open Land
• Residential
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

n/a

Building Typology

• New England Bank

Materials

• Concrete Block
• Cut Stone
• Vertical Siding

Structural System

n/a

Roof materials

Roof type

• Gable

Approximate Dimensions

n/a

Date Compiled

06/30/2011

Compiled By

Rachel D. Carley - CH

Sources

Carley, Rachel D., Barn Stories from Roxbury Connecticut, Roxbury Historic District Commission/Town of Roxbury/CT Commission on Culture & Tourism, 2010.

Cunningham, Jan, Roxbury, A Historic and Architectural Survey, Roxbury Historic District Commission, 1996-97.

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, 213 pages.