Farm Buildings Reminders of Vanishing American Heritage

Barn and silo at French Farm, off Lake Avenue.

by Jeffrey Bingham Mead
Greenwich Time, Greenwich, Connecticut
Sunday, February 11, 1990, page A17.

Jeffrey B. Mead, who lives in Greenwich, is a direct descendant of one of the founding families of the town. He is a free-lance writer and member of the Greenwich Historical Society. 

Not too long ago I was driving through the western end of town when I encountered a sight that almost broke my heart. A small barn, close to the side of the road, was in the process of demolition or disassembly. My feelings of remorse and shame was similar to what the residents of Glenville felt a few years ago when a similar barn in this village was destroyed.

It was replaced, as is coming today, with a tacky office building. It made me sad and angry that something so traditional and symbolic of the best of America was given such disrespect, and thus going the way of so many other structures like it before.

In more contented days in Fairfield County, when life was pleasantly calm and progressed more slowly and steadily, the early settlers and a number of their descendants created for themselves barns and other farm buildings to support their lifestyles. The hand-crafted structures that survive today are symbolic of a fast-vanishing way of life. Whether the building is a barn, carriage house, grist mill, cider mill, stable, chicken coop or covered bridge, such structures are gentle reminders of our shared roots that evoke a sense of nostalgia and historical attraction for successive generations to enjoy and appreciate.

I particularly enjoy walking through and around such structures. It is like taking a pleasant journey back in time, like a family photo album in a grandmothers attic trunk. Beholding these majestically craft well-crafted buildings and complexes provides the viewer and the community with the sense of historical continuity and place. These farm buildings of early Americana symbolize the virtues of living off the land. Lewis Evans wrote back in 1753 that, "it is pretty to behold our back settlements where the barns are as large as palaces, while the owners live in log huts; a sign of thrifty farming."

The barn next to the Brush Lockwood House at the corner of Taconic and North Stanwich Roads. 

Sometimes nestled on stone foundations, these gems of our heritage are found in places both rural and urban. They command our attention, interest and respect. Sit back for a moment and picture in your mind the image of a farm complex on a hillside, surrounded by fields of tall grass, crops or orchards, framed by tall oak or maple trees under the benevolent warmth of sunny blue skies. This archetypal image of harmonious grace dots the landscapes of many towns across the nation, and is worthy of preservation. History seems to smile at us through these images from the past, feeding the soul and tendering the heart.

The old farm buildings have been immortalized in prose, poetry and art. Flip through a collection of Currier and and Ives prints and you will find numerous tranquil examples reaching to the heart of Americana. 

The barn behind Bush Holley House in Cos Cob. 

The most famous contemporary artist to illuminate the pages of books and canvasses with these masterpieces of American architecture and culture was the late Eric Sloan of Litchfield County. His researching of old farm buildings and his gift of capturing their beauty on canvas are unsurpassed, a fine legacy for a man who dedicated his life to their worthy cause. Other artists have captured the spirit of our agrarian past, including Grandma Moses and an assortment of others. Go to almost any sidewalk art show and you surely will find at least one such example.

What is the fascination with barns farm buildings? Historically and architecturally, they are a mirror of the Yankee soul and personality of being righteously and logically unassuming in their character. True, they are beautiful, yet they do not seek to overwhelm by crude embellishments. I often hear the phrase "form follows function" from time to time to describe contemporary buildings. I do not think that such a basic principle of design could be better fitted for these farm buildings found across New England today, especially in those areas still true to their heritage.

This barn is located off Stanwich Road near the intersection with Stag Lane. One of the Reynolds Family homes is next door. 

When Ol' MacDonald had his farm in that song we learned in school, he and his family would have found themselves with lots of company in the Greenwich of the past. It wasn't that long ago that the vast majority of New England families lived on farmsteads. It is a vision and a way of life few in this area could imagine as existing today, given our explosion of population, development and traffic pollution.

The barn behind the circa 1795 Mackay-Ingersoll House at 287 Taconic Road, Stanwich. 

If you think Ma and Pa MacDonald and their young'uns hopped on the family wooden wagon, pulled by a faithful horse named Mr. Ed, to shop at the A&P and the mall for food, clothing and other provisions, think again. The farm complexes were nearly self-sufficient, consisting of an orchestrated network of facilities necessary for the survival and prosperity of the farm and family. Food was manufactured here, as were clothing, shoes, quilts, candles, bedding, furniture, building materials, and even coffins for the dead. If you think of a farm as a wheel, the hub would have been the kitchen, with the spokes reaching out to the barns, stables, root cellar, well-house, milk-house, woodpile, cider mill and much more. But the old farms were not totally efficient. Refrigeration did not exist, and the home canning the fruits and vegetables in glass mason jars was not possible until 1858. Keeping all this in mind, it is no small wonder that whole families would work from sunrise to sunset to produce those things necessary for living.

Most of the best preserved from structures are found in the northern section of town, although find examples are found elsewhere. The Art Barn on Lower Cross Road and the Polo Club House on Conyers Farm are prominent examples in the backcountry. A drive through the quiet hamlet of Stanwich on Taconic Road or Bedford Road in northwestern Greenwich will bring many find examples of barns and their accompanying homesteads. Round Hill also is filled with many old farm buildings. There is also the old Lyon Farm on Weaver Street, where time seems to have stood still and its fine unpretentious Yankee splendor. 

While not an old building, I had the pleasure of attending a wedding at St. Michael's Church on North Street. Before the ceremony began, I walked in and around and felt a certain warmth and hominess as I gazed at the beams that reminded me of some of the old barns and farms I had seen. Perhaps it is no surprise to recall that Christ was born in a manger -it certainly made me feel somewhat like I was in one. 

The Town of Greenwich in recent years has been the focal point of intensified efforts to preserve the heritage of our American past, of which the old farm buildings are a reminder. It never ceases to amaze me, however, that many modern buildings seek to emulate old ways and styles while at the same time obliterating the past by tearing down or seriously altering that which is already marvelous and serene and beautiful. My hope is that more attention will be made by the public to preserve these places. I hope as well that some enterprising artist, in the spirit of Eric Sloane, will record the images of these find sights in Greenwich.

These great structures are like sacred heirlooms, and we are the caretakers of part of a chain so that others in the future will be able to enjoy the gift of beholding these and other reminders of our vanishing heritage of Americana.