Butler Farm Barns 1 of 2 (134 Hungary Road, Granby (Central Valley))

Designations

n/a

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a 1 ½-story gable-entry, connected barn with two gable-roof additions and a shed-roof addition. The main façade faces east and the ridge-line is perpendicular to Hungary Road which at this point runs north to south.

The main entry is centered on the east gable-end of the barn and consists of a pair of double-height side-hinged doors with wrought iron strap hinges. The entry is reached by an earthen ramp with a cut stone retaining wall that extends to the east. Above the door, centered in the gable attic is an exterior electrical lamp. Just below the apex in the gable attic of the east gable-end of the barn is a two-pane window with trim that is now boarded over. The grade declines to the south, and located on the south corner of the east gable-end of the barn is a shed-roof addition (addition I) with evidence of a gable-roof addition that once extended to the east.

The addition extends to the south and encompasses the entire south eave-side of the barn.

A small gable-roof extension extends off the south corner of the west gable-end of the barn. Two, six-pane windows with trim are found on the south side of the extension. A pass through paneled door and a six-pane window with trim are found on the west side of the extension. Decorative brackets are located beneath the overhanging eaves.

A one-over-one double-hung window with trim is located on the south corner of the west gable-end of the barn. A shed-roof hood covers what appears to be a door opening. Located on the girt line siding divide is a ten-pane transom window with trim and a pediment. In the gable-attic of the west gable-end of the barn is a two-pane window with trim. Under the overhanging eaves are small brackets. Attached to the north half of the west gable-end of the barn is another gable-roof addition (Addition II). This addition extends to the west and attaches to the house on its west gable-end.

The north eave-side of the barn appears to have no openings.

Addition I has a cut stone basement wall on its east gable-end. A hinged door is found on the north corner of the east gable-end of Addition I. Centered on this side, directly above the basement level are two side-hinged doors with iron strap hinges. A four-pane fixed window is seen on the north corner of the east gable-end, directly to the north of the hinged doors. A hay-door is found in the gable-attic on the south side of the east gable-end of Addition I.

The south eave-side of Addition I has a pass-through door with trim on the east corner. Directly to the west is a series of four fixed windows with trim and sills. A shed-roof hood protrudes from the center of the south eave-side of Addition I, and covers a pass-through door and a window opening with trim. Another series of four fixed windows with trim are found directly to the west of the center entry way. On the west corner of the south eave-side of the barn is a pass-through door with trim. Directly above the center entry way is an exterior electrical lamp. No other details are found on this side. The gable-roof extension is attached to the west side of Addition I, and encompasses 2/3 of this side.

Addition II, which is attached to the west gable-end of the barn, appears to have a window opening with trim on the east corner of its south eave-side. Centered on this side appears to be an entry that consists of side-hinged doors with a shed-roof hood. On the west corner of the south eave-side of Addition II is what appears to be a window opening with trim.

Attached to the west gable-end of Addition II is the farmhouse, encompassing 1/3 of this side of the addition. In the gable-attic of the west gable-end of the barn, there appears to be a two-pane window with trim.

A small window opening appears to be on the west corner of the north eave-side of Addition II. What appears to be a slender brick chimney is centered on the north eave-side, and there appears to be a door opening just to the east of this. A two-pane window with trim appears to be located just below the eave, near the east corner of the north eave-side of Addition II. There appear to be no openings on the east gable-end of Addition II.

The barn and additions are clad in vertical flush-board siding painted red with white trim around the windows and doors. A cut-stone basement wall is visible on the east and west sides of Addition I. The roofs are clad in asphalt shingles and have overhanging eaves.

A tobacco shed, a small outbuilding and another barn are also found on this property. (See 134 Hungary Road Part 2 of 2 for the tobacco shed.)

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.

Connected barns tied all of the functions of a farmstead - home, hearth, workplace and barn - into a series of linked buildings. This is the “big house, little house, back house, barn” of nursery rhymes.

Field Notes

Pre-application for Barns Grant 2008. Multiple structures including New England barn (this record). See part 2 for tobacco shed.

Use (Historic)

agriculture

Use (Present)

agriculture

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Unknown

Related features

Barn
Shed

Environment features

Relationship to surroundings

This barn sits on a 5.0 acre parcel of land. The house this barn is associated with is connected to the barn, with the barn extending off the east end of the house. The main façade of the house faces west with the ridge-line running perpendicular to Hungary Road. A tobacco shed and a small outbuilding are directly to the south of the barn. To the southwest is another barn with a few additions. To the southwest of the property is Ahern Park and a canal. The property is surrounded by residential areas, woodland and farmland. Directly to the east of the property is dense woodland that continues east for a few miles. Open tracts of land that appear to be active farmland is directly to the north and south of the property. To the southwest is active farmland, and directly west appears to be a residential development with large properties. Continuing northwest is heavy woodland that continues to Manitook Lake. Further northwest is what appears to be a quarry. Further north of the property is the village of Hungary and more active farmland.

Map/Block/Lot: F-51/ 44/ 26

Building Typology

Materials

Structural System

Roof materials

Roof type

Gable
Shed

Approximate Dimensions

Connected barn: 2400 square feet.

Date Compiled

06/02/2011

Compiled By

K. Young & T. Levine, reviewed by CT Trust

Sources

Field notes and photographs taken from the 2008 Barns Grant pre-application by Don Butler - 2/7/2009.

Town of Granby Assessor’s Records:
http://www.visionappraisal.com/databases/ - accessed 6/2/2011.

Aerial Mapping: Granby Maps
http://www.bing.com/maps - accessed 6/2/2011.

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.

Historic Barns of Connecticut

Barn Record Granby