Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 2 story gambrel-roofed gable-entry barn with a shed-roofed addition and a gable-roofed addition. The main facade faces east towards Middletown Road (Route 66) and the ridge-line of the barn is perpendicular to the road, which at this point runs approximately north-south. The main entry is an exterior sliding door in the southern portion of the facade, with the track extending into the addition to the south. In the center of the facade is a pair of windows; the southernmost is a six-pane window and the northernmost is boarded. Towards the north corner of the east gable-roofed facade is a pass-though door and a six-pane window. Centered above the center pair of windows, extending into the second level, is a pair of side-hinged hay doors flanked by a window opening; the southernmost is boarded and the northernmost has a six-pane window. The apex of the roof has a projecting hay door hood. Just beneath is a pair of side-hinged hay doors with the words “Skyline Farm” painted onto them in white letters. The south eave-facade of the barn has a shed-roofed addition that encompasses the entire width of the facade. The southernmost portion of the addition is used as a chicken coop. The west gable-facade of the barn has a pair of swinging hinged doors towards the north corner, a six-pane window in the center and three boarded door openings towards the south corner (one of which may still be operational), into the shed-roofed addition side. The north eave-facade of the barn has five six-pane windows; two towards the east corner and three on the other side of the gable-roofed addition towards the west corner. The gable-roofed addition extends to the north. Above is a shed-roofed dormer with a pair of side-hinged hay doors. The barn has vertical flush-board siding painted red with white trim. The asphalt shingled roof has exposed rafter tails and a dutch flair on the eaves. The gable-facades of the roof has a projecting overhang. The foundation is concrete block masonry.

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.

The gambrel roof design was universally accepted for ground-level stable barns as it enclosed a much greater volume than a gable roof did, and its shape could be formed with trusses that did not require cross beams, which would interfere with the movement and storage of hay. Also known as the curb roof, the double slopes of the gambrel offer more volume in the hayloft without increasing the height of the side walls.

Field Notes

n/a

Use (Historic)

• agriculture

Use (Present)

• agriculture

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Barn
• Carriage House
• Garage
• Other

Environment features

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

Relationship to surroundings

The barn is one of a number of outbuildings in this active agricultural complex. The house associated with it is north of the barn, with its ridge-line parallel to the barns ridge-line. To the north of the barn is a gable-roofed shed with its ridge-line perpendicular to the barn. To the west of the shed is a gable-roofed barn. To the northwest of the barn is gable-entry shed, an eave-entry barn and an above-ground pool. To the west and south of the complex are tracts of open space. To the north is a large tract of open space. The total size of the site is 3.70 acres. The area is light residential, active agriculture and open space.

M/P = 036//004

Building Typology

• Gambrel
• New England

Materials

• Concrete Block
• Flush-board
• Vertical Siding

Structural System

n/a

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Dutch Gambrel

Approximate Dimensions

1160 S.F. 1200 S.F. 1728 S.F.

Date Compiled

07/30/2010

Compiled By

Todd Levine, reviewed by the Connecticut Trust

Sources

Photographs by Todd Levine.

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.

Map of the Columbia, CT, retrieved on July 30, 2010 from website www.zillow.com.

Town of Columbia assessors office, 323 Route 87, Columbia, CT 06237.