Historic Barns of Connecticut

Designations

• State Register

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1 1/2-story eave-entry barn.  The main facade faces east and the gabled ridge-line of the barn is parallel to Long Hill Road which runs north-south.  The main facade has a double-height sliding door mounted on overhead exterior hardware and centered on the facade so that it slides to the south.  Flanking this central door and not as tall are pairs of side-hinged barn doors, one pair on each side.  High above each of these side-hinged doors are the signs of previous openings which have been sealed.  The area directly in front of the south facade ramps up slightly to the facade and has been paved.  On the south gable-end of the barn, it is deeper on its western half and therefore the roof is much higher at the east corner than at the west corner. The vertical siding is deteriorated at the base of the wall and the fieldstone base is visible.  There is a square opening framed with only a sill and lintel in this western half and a horizontal, six-pane window is centered high in the gable attic, again framed only with a wood sill and lintel.  A shed addition extends further towards the west and appears to step down.  This addition has no openings on this elevation.  Lack of paint and old aerial photos indicate the previous existence of a shed along the base of this facade.  The west eave-side has two large openings which appear to be similar to the side-hinged openings on the front, east-facing facade.  The north, eave-side has no openings on the shed addition and two framed openings, perhaps framed similarly to the south elevation, equally spaced on the first floor while a small opening is centered high in the gable attic.  The vertical siding on the body of the barn is painted white with the trim and the doors painted grey.  The roof is clad in asphalt shingles.

Historical significance:

The oldest barns still found in the state are called the “English Barn,” “side-entry barn,” “eave entry,” or a 30 x 40. They are simple buildings with rectangular plan, pitched gable roof, and a door or doors located on one or both of the eave sides of the building based on the grain warehouses of the English colonists’ homeland. The name “30 by 40” originates from its size (in feet), which was large enough for 1 family and could service about 100 acres. The multi-purpose use of the English barn is reflected by the building’s construction in three distinct bays - one for each use. The middle bay was used for threshing, which is separating the seed from the stalk in wheat and oat by beating the stalks with a flail. The flanking bays would be for animals and hay storage.

Field Notes

Listed on the State Register of Historic Places 8/07/2013. This barn and wagon repair shop is truly unique. It is believed to have been moved to this location at some time in the distant past. See detail of wagon Hoist and old paint on rear of building.

Use (Historic)

• agriculture

Use (Present)

• storage

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Moved

Related features

• Barn
• Garage
• Garden
• Shed
• Stone Walls

Environment features

• Active Agriculture
• Open Land
• Residential
• Woodland

Relationship to surroundings

This property is located to the north of the historic town center of Guilford, in a mostly residential area with some agriculture.  The barn is located on 5.84 acres that consists of a house, a garage, two barns, and several other structures.  The house, built in 1805 is set back approximately 35 feet back from Long Hill Road with its main gable-roofed ridgeline perpendicular to the road. The house is “L”- shaped.  The main barn is connected to the back of the house and extends out from the back of the house a total of approximately 130 feet.  The width of the main body of the barn is 35 feet.  This barn is 30 feet to the south of the first barn.  Approximately 20 feet south of this barn is a garage.  Just west of this barn is a small shed.  Just south of the shed is a large garden.  Approximately 50 feet north of the first barn is a shed which is sited along the north edge of the property. To the west of all of these buildings is a very large open field that extends almost all the way to County Road.  Between the field and County Road is a stream surrounded by trees.  The house is clad in wood shingles and the gable roof is clad with wood shingles.

Book 225, Page 249, Parcel No.104018, List No. 1911

Building Typology

• English

Materials

• Fieldstone
• Flush-board
• Vertical Siding

Structural System

• Wood Frame

Roof materials

• Asphalt Shingle

Roof type

• Gable

Approximate Dimensions

30 x 55

Date Compiled

03/10/2011

Compiled By

R. Rothbart & T. Levine, reviewed by CT Trust

Sources

Field notes and photographs by Caroline Chandler, date 03/12/2009.

Town of Guilford Assessor’s Record: 
http://www.guilfordgis.com/gallery.htm
Parcel ID: 104018

Aerial Mapping:
Google Earth: 9/10/2010
http://maps.google.com
http://www.bing.com/maps accessed 03/10/2010.

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.