Daniel Hubbard (53 Broad Street, Guilford (Eastern Coastal Slope))

Designations

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 2-1/2 story barn with two gable wall dormer. Its main ridge runs north-south. The barn is set at grade on ground that declines slightly from east to west, exposing a mortared cut stone foundation. The main east eave-facade has three bays that appears to have entries, possibly overhead garage doors. The central bay appears to have a transom above the middle entry. Centered in the second floor of the main façade is a set of two windows with trim. Centered over the flanking entries are two large rectangular windows with trim in the second floor. There appears to be a triangular window with diamond shaped panes in the center of the gable wall dormer. Towards the east corner of the south gable-end of the barn is an open bay. Between the bay and the west corner are three evenly spaced rectangular six-pane windows with trim. Centered on the south gable-end of the barn is a set of two six-over-nine double-hung windows with six paned transom windows above. All four windows have trim. Directly over the six-pane window on the first is a six-over-six double-hung window with trim on the second floor. Just beneath the apex of the roof in the south gable-end of the barn is a triangular window with diamond shaped panes and trim.

The west eave-side of the barn is a few feet above grade. Centered at grade are stone remnants of a ramp or entryway. Centered on the first floor is a hooded exterior sliding batten door, topped with seven inset lights and two curvilinear end brackets. To the south of the door is a six-pane window. To the north of the door are two equally spaced six-pane windows. On the second floor are three windows, one over each of the first floor windows. The two windows north of the first floor entry are six-pane windows with trim; the windows south of the first floor entry is a six-over-six double-hung window with trim. Centered in the gable wall dormer of the west eave-side is a triangular window with diamond shaped panes. The north gable-end of the barn is above grade and has three symmetrically spaced broad rectangular windows with trim on the main level. The two flanking windows are offset to the east and west corners. Centered on the second level of the north gable-end is a pair of windows with a transom. In the east half of the second floor is a rectangular window with trim that is offset towards the east edge of the north gable-end. In the gable attic is a triangular window.

The walls are clapboard siding with flush-board siding on the eave gable wall dormers. The roof has wide projecting eaves with exposed rafter tails and is supported by curvilinear brackets at the gables. The roof is covered with asphalt shingles.

Historical significance:

Until the 1830s, the horses used for riding and driving carriages were often kept in the main barn along with the other farm animals. By the 1850s, some New England farmers built separate horse stables and carriage houses. Early carriage houses were built just to shelter a carriage and perhaps a sleigh, but no horses. The pre-cursor to the twentieth-century garage, these outbuildings are distinguished by their large hinged doors, few windows, and proximity to the dooryard. The combined horse stable and carriage house continued to be a common farm building through the second half of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth century, until automobiles became common. Elaborate carriage houses were also associated with gentlemen farms and country estates of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Another form of carriage barn, the urban livery stable, served the needs of tradespeople.

Field Notes

2 structures 1 Large Carriage House with Clapboard siding 1 small Shed with Vertical siding Located in Guilford Town Center Historic District, and appears to be a contributing resource within the district.

Use (Historic)

carriage barn

Use (Present)

unknown

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

Environment features

Relationship to surroundings

The barn is behind and to the southwest of the main house it is associated with. The main ridge-line of the house is perpendicular to the main ridge-line of the barn. The main house is on the northeast corner of the property and faces Broad Street. A lawn is north, east, and south of the house. The perimeter of the lawn is outlined by a wood plank fence. South of the main house is a fence enclosed pool. Between the main house and barn is a suburban lawn with garden furniture. West of the house is a driveway that starts at Broad Street and proceeds south until it ends at the southeast corner of the barn. Southeast of the barn is a suburban lawn. Southwest of the barn is a barnyard with its western border outlined by low unmortared cut stone wall. The wall ends at the yard’s southeastern corner next to a small shed with vertical siding. West and of the barn is a narrow suburban lawn that borders Conway Drive and extends northwest to the perpendicular intersection with Broad Street. North of the barn is a quadruple section cut masonry walled garden that connects to a secondary residence. North of the secondary residence is an open parking area. The north border of the property is outlined by a wood plank fence. The total size of the site is 0.92 acres. The area surrounding the site is residential, suburban, rural, and woodland.

Building Typology

Carriage House

Materials

Approximate Dimensions

n/a

Date Compiled

02/27/2011

Compiled By

J. E. Toner & T. Levine; reviewed by CT Trust

Sources

Field notes and photographs by Dempsey Fitton on 08/10/2008.

Town of Guilford Assessor’s Record and GIS Viewer: http://www guilfordgis.com.
Parcel ID: 03906201

Aerial Mapping:
http://www.bing.com/maps accessed 02/27/2011.

McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses, Alfred A. Knopf, 1984.

Raiche, Stephen, Guilford Historic Town Center National Register District Nomination No. 76001988, National Park Service, 1976.

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.

Historic Barns of Connecticut

Barn Record Guilford