Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 2 1/2-story eave-entry bank barn converted to a residence. All windows and doors are modern replacements for residential use. It is appears that the main entry facade was originally the north eave-side. The ridge-line runs east-west, which is approximately perpendicular to Moose Hill Road at this point. The grade is lower on the east and south sides of the barn and there is an exposed basement level. A pass-through door is located on the south half of the basement level on the east gable-end. North of this entrance are two three-pane stacked windows infilling between concrete piers. A pass-through door is located in the gable attic, which leads out to a small cantilevered balcony with a wood balustrade. The north eave-side has a variety of window shapes and sizes. On the east half is a pair of three-pane stacked windows that stretch from the first story to the second-story level. Centered on this eave-side on the first story is a one-pane awning window with two stacked awning windows west of that. Above these two windows on the second story is a pair of one-pane windows. On the west half of this eave-side is a a pair of one-pane windows on the first story with a band of three one-pane windows on the second story. The west gable-end has a vertical strip window off-center toward the north and an exterior metal chimney. There is an exterior wood patio on the west gable-end. The south eave-side has a cantilevered balcony at both the first and second levels, with a pass-through door to the right (east) of center opening to each. To the west of these are a number of modern windows in large and small openings.

The barns has vertical flush-boards. The roof has a projecting overhang and is covered in wood shingles. A metal chimney is located off-center towards the east on the northern plane of the roof. The foundation is concrete.

Historical significance:

The New England barn or gable front barn was the successor to the English barn and relied on a gable entry rather than an entry under the eaves. The gable front offered many practical advantages. Roofs drained 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; both types continued to be constructed. The 19th century also saw 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.

Field Notes

n/a

Use (Historic)

• agriculture

Use (Present)

• residence

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

• Stone Walls

Environment features

• Residential
• Rural
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

the building has no associated structures nearby on the property, which is on the west side of Moose Hill Road. A fieldstone wall runs east-west along the north property line. The total size of the site is 2.82 acres. The surrounding area is rural residential and woodland. The site is located in the southern part of Guilford a short distance north of Leetes Island Road (Rte 146). The West Woods conservation area is to the east of the property, east of the road.

Parcel ID: 066048.

Building Typology

• English Bank

Materials

• Concrete
• Flush-board
• Vertical Siding

Structural System

• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Gable

Approximate Dimensions

1,568 square feet

Date Compiled

03/06/2011

Compiled By

Beth Bjorklund & T. Levine, reviewed by CT Trust

Sources

Field notes and photographs by Nona Bloomer, 05/14/2009.

Town of Guilford Assessor’s Record or GIS Viewer http://www.guilfordgis.com/detail.asp?parid=066048
http://www.prophecyone.us/index_prophecy.php?town=Guilford
Parcel ID: 066048
Aerial Mapping:
http://maps.google.com accessed 03/06/2011
http://www.bing.com/maps accessed 03/06/2011

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, 74-75.