University of Vermont

HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAM

Community Preservation Research Projects

MAIN BARN

A two-story, U-shaped barn, also known as a reconfigured barn, is located a few feet south of Route 2. It is the largest outbuilding on the Andrews farmstead. Two older English barns are located on the second story, and they are positioned in the northwestern and southwestern sections of the U-shaped barn. The circa 1813 northwestern English barn is 24 feet by 40 feet; the circa 1830 southwestern English barn is 30 feet by 40 feet. Both barns are distinguished by their hand-hewn beams, and each one has a wooden ventilator on top of it. In 1917, the barns were raised one story and connected on the second story by a perpendicular barn. This two-story addition has two metal ventilators on its ridgeline. Moreover, in 1917, a two-story, north wing and a two-story, south wing, were added to the English barns' eastern walls. A metal ventilator is positioned on the northern wing's eastern ridge. Lastly, in 1917, an appendage, with a first story milk room and a second story hayloft, was added to the northwestern section of the U-shaped barn.

The furthermost eastern sections of the north and south wings have uncoursed stone for a foundation, while the rest of the U-shaped barn has a concrete foundation. The exterior cladding consists of clapboards. However, all of the sliding entrance doors, and hayloft doors, have vertical board siding. Further, the entire barn is covered with a standing seam, metal roof, except for the southern wing which is covered with slate.

The barn's northern facade, which faces Route 2, has three separate sliding doors: A single sliding door is located on the facade's western section, while another one is positioned on the facade's eastern section. A double sliding door is situated between both of these doors. In addition, a white diamond is painted on each door.

A hayloft opening is positioned on the north wing's eastern side wall gable. Unfortunately, the two hayloft doors were carried away in a storm. A window with six fixed lights is located above the hayloft opening. A first story, sliding door is positioned within the north wing's southern wall. Further, a single hayloft door is situated in the western side wall gable, which leads to the hayloft above the milk room.

A second story, single hayloft door is located on the western wall of the 1917 perpendicular addition connecting the two English barns. The addition's eastern wall contains a first story, sliding door.

Below the southern English barn's western wall, a sliding door is positioned on the first story. A second story, hayloft door, flanked by two, 6/6 double-hung sash windows is located on this English barn's southern wall. Five feet above the door, a transom window with nineteen fixed lights is positioned underneath the roofline. Moreover, a hinged door with vertical board siding is located at the southwestern corner of this wall. Directly east of the hinged door, stands a small, clapboarded gutter cleaner with a gable roof. In addition, the south wing's eastern wall has a pair of hayloft doors in its gable. Beneath these doors, there is another set of hayloft doors on the second story.

Besides the southern English barn's transom light and the two windows flanking the hayloft door, all of the second story's fenestration consists of 9/6, double-hung sash windows. On the first floor, there are two types of windows: 6/6, double-hung sash and paired sliding windows with six lights.

Interior:

Many salient agricultural and architectural features remain intact in the barn's lower and upper levels. On the first floor, sixty-two metal cow stanchions run from the barn's northwestern section to the south wing's eastern section. Above the stanchions, rails for the circa 1917 manure trolley mark the ceiling. In addition, the south wing's eastern section includes four young cattle stalls as well as a bull ring. A first story, circa 1958 bulk tank, used for cooling milk, a grain chute descending from the hayloft is situated in the granary. In the north wing, six box stalls for horses are positioned against the wing's northern wall.

The barn's upper level retains the circa 1917 automated hay fork, located on the south wing's ridge. Moreover, some of the northern English barn's original clapboards and wood shingles remain extant.

©1996 UVM Historic Preservation Program
Revised 4/96 by Mark Brebach
histpres@moose.uvm.edu
URL: http://www.uvm.edu/~mbrebach/gf.1.html