New England Barn Type
or Gable-Front Barn

A relatively large nineteenth century barn that originated in New England and has its main door centered on the gable end.

1. Size: small to medium to large size. The medium examples near Wilmington, Ohio are about 36 by 48 ft.
2. Shape: ** squarish narrow-rectangular footprint
3. Height:* full-height hayloft (1.5 to 2 story height)
4. Width: * 3 bays wide
5. Depth: 3 to 5 (or more) bays deep
6. Roof: ** gable, always gable-front orientation
7. Door: * Usually only 1 on front: a threshing door (sometimes with pent roof); various stock or entry doors elsewhere
8. Plan: * large space on ground floor with no floor; single open hayloft above with opening over and only over the space just inside the threshing door, enough to get a wagon in and lift hay from
9. Structure:
10. Ornament: usually unadorned, but varies

• few windows
• * no hay door in front; some may be on sides
• one example had a center ridge cupola

• May look very similar to Transverse Frame type barns

• Observed in level, rich farmland
• Part of farmstead

Regions Observed:

• Wilmington vicinity, Clinton County, Ohio (winter 1998)

• Noble 1984 Wood, Brick & Stone. The North American Settlement Landscape. Volume 2: Barns and Farm Structures p39
• Surprisingly little discussion on this type, and even then, the (apparently) typical form is omitted.
• The illustration (fig.3-6) is of a raised or banked example, and the name for the type is given as "Gable-Entry Banked Barn."
• Noble states that "no study exists of this barn type in North America."
• Noble and Cleek 1996 The Old Barn Book p84
• The type is further confused. It is labled the "Welsh Gable-Entry Banked Barn," but then the illustration (fig.6.10), of a medium raised example, is labled only as a "Gable-Entry Banked Barn" (even though it is raised, not banked).
• Figure 6.11 is of a small flat-sited version of the same, yet is labled only as a "Welsh Barn."
• Gordon 1992 How to Complete the Ohio Historic Inventory
• No mention of the type in Ohio.

• New England Barn - The common name for this type, as best as I can tell.
• Gable-Entry Barn - modified from Noble's 1984 North American Settlement Landscape. Volume 2 "Gable-Entry Banked Barn," p39.

This is one of a few New England-type barns observed in the area. This one is 36 x 48 ft. with a 12 ft. rear lean-to, has a pent roof over the (half-open) front doorway, and its materials indicate a date of c1880-1910. Attached to the rear south side is a c1950-1960 cattle lounging shed, and behind that are three concrete stave silos.

This is one of a few New England-type barns observed in the area. This one is... [see OHI form]. Attached to north side is a [Combination Corn Crib + Wagon Shed] Lean-To, and on the south side is another lean-to and a silo.