Exhibit & Program Sponsors
Admission is free; donations welcome.
Parking available in front of building.
Handicap accessible.
Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sundays and holiday Mondays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
7 Pine Street, P.O. Box 115
Cornwall, CT 06753
(860) 672-0505
www.CornwallHistoricalSociety.org
Cornwall Historical Society
7. Maple Hill Farm, 20 Cherry Hill Road
Originally part of the Hart family’s farm on Cherry Hill,
dating back to the 1700s, Maple Hill Farm was acquired
by the Hedden family in 1908. Maple Hill was a dairy farm
until 1963; other farm operations continue today. The main
body of the large barn was built during the early 1900s in
the English Bank style.
8. Hart Farm Preserve, Cherry Hill Road
In 2003, the Cornwall Conservation Trust acquired 96
acres of the Hart family’s Cherry Hill Farm. The Hart Farm
Preserve maintains a trail for walking and cross-country
skiing. Off-street parking is available in a small grassy area.
The Cornwall Historical Society preserves, promotes,
and presents the history of Cornwall and its people. We
are a great starting point for exploring the Cornwall
area, with walking tours, local history publications, lectures, and family programs. Research by appointment
is welcome year-round. Summer exhibits are held in
our historic Victorian barn.
9. Hart Farm Barns, 70 Cherry Hill Road
This pair of barns were built in the Gambrel Bank style on
the Hart family’s farm. During the 1880s, the Hart farm
included a creamery that produced cheese and butter for
the NYC market, and ice cream sold locally. The Hart family continued their dairy operations until 1962, operating
a milk delivery route as well as selling milk in Cornwall’s
markets.
Barns can reflect more than one style: New England
Bank, or Gambrel Bank, for example. Definitions are
taken from the Historic Barns of Connecticut website.
Visit www.ConnecticutBarns.org for more information.
10. Three Farms Dairy/Cornwall Creamery, Grange Hall
Road (Route 125)
Build during the early 1880s, this small red building originally served as a creamery for three Cornwall dairy farms
(Coltsfoot, Cream Hill, and Plainview). Milk produced at
each of the farms was churned into butter at the creamery,
then delivered to customers in Cornwall, New Haven, and
New York City. The building was converted for use as a
Grange Hall during the early 1900s.
About Us
11. West Cornwall Railroad Station, 6 Railroad Street
The Housatonic Railroad was extended north into Cornwall in 1842. Stations were built at West Cornwall and at
Cornwall Bridge, making it easy for area farmers to ship
butter, cheese, and milk to merchants in Bridgeport and
New York City. Businesses grew up close to the station to
Gambrel
The introduction of gambrel roofs (and their later
counterparts, the “gothic roof ” and “round roof ”) to
barns allowed for greater room in the loft spaces.
Bank
This type 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. There
are two advantages to this arrangement. Originally it
provided a place under the barn for the collection and
storage of precious manure generated over the winter
in a barn. Later, with the addition of windows for better light and ventilation, animals were housed in the
lowest level.
New England
The successor to the English barn, this type relies on a
gable entry. This arrangement allows for easy expansion by adding bays along the axis of the ridge. Although it was seen as an improvement over the earlier
side entry English Barn, the New England barn did not
replace its predecessor but rather coexisted with it.
English
This barn was the main type used throughout the colonial era in Connecticut. It is characterized by a rectangular plan, a pitched roof, entry through a large door
on the long side and a tri-partite plan
Barn Styles
take advantage of the thriving trade. A milk train began
running in 1867, shipping milk from Cornwall to New
York City during the coolest parts of the day.
12. Cornwall Bridge Railroad Station, 2 River Road South
Like the West Cornwall Railroad Station, the Cornwall
Bridge station was used by area farmers to ship their butter,
cheese, and milk to merchants in Bridgeport and New York
City during the second half of the 1800s.
13. Creamery Building, 8 River Road South
Constructed in 1922 to replace a wood creamery building destroyed by fire, this small industrial-looking building was used by The Inwood Dairy Company during the
1920s. The creamery’s location next to the railroad station
made it easy to ship their products from Cornwall to New
York City.
14. Wilford Barn, 150 Kent Road (Route 7)
Now owned by the Housatonic Valley Association, this
barn was built during the early 1900s as part of the Wilford
family dairy farm. The Wilford family moved to Cornwall
from Branford around 1915 to become dairy farmers. The
barn is a standard tri-partite barn in the English style.
15. Stone Wall Dairy Barn, 332 Kent Road (Route 7)
Previously known as the Lorch farm, Stone Wall Dairy includes a cluster of barns built in the English Bank style. It
is the last remaining commercial dairy operating in Cornwall, producing and selling raw milk. The barn was added
to the State Register of Historic Places in 2014 and was the
100th barn in the state to be added.
16. Stony Batter Farm, 182 Whitcomb Hill Road
Dating back to the 1700s, the farm was owned by an Irish
immigrant from the 1870s until the early 1900s. It became
a dairy farm for much of the 20th century. The barn was
built in the New England barn or gable front barn style.
17. The Local Farm, 22 Popple Swamp Road
Part of the historic Joshua Pierce farm, this English Bank
style barn was added to the State Register of Historic Places
in 2013. Built during the mid to late 1800s, the barn includes posts and beams from an earlier building. The Local
Farm, a small dairy, has been operating here since 1993.
18. Coltsfoot Farm, 39 Jewell Street
One of three barns built for the Coltsfoot Farm by John E.
Calhoun during the 1890s, this English style barn was used
for cows being milked. The barn was converted to a private
residence during the 1990s.
19. Coltsfoot Farm, 103 Valley Road
One of three barns built for the Coltsfoot Farm by John
E. Calhoun during the 1890s, this English style barn was
used for a small herd of Devon beef cattle. The barn was
converted to a private residence during the 1990s.
20. Coltsfoot Farm, 141 Valley Road
One of three barns built for the Coltsfoot Farm by John E.
Calhoun during the 1890s, this English style barn was used
for heifers (young cows that have not yet born a calf). The
barn is now part of a private residence.
21. Corban Barn, Great Hollow Road
During the 1870s and 1880s, Josiah B. Corban’s farm, located at the intersection of Great Hollow and Great Hill
Roads, produced hundreds of pounds of butter and cheese.
This small New England Bank style barn was part of Corban’s farm.
22. Kenniston Barn, 25 Bunker Hill Road (Route 4)
This English Bank style barn was built sometime around
1900. The Kenniston family purchased the farm in 1952,
continuing dairy operations until the early 1980s; other
farming operations continue today. The barn was added to
the State Register of Historic Places in 2013.
Historic Dairy Barns
and Related Sites
More than 89 barns in Cornwall have been
documented by Historic Barns of Connecticut,
a project of the Connecticut Trust for Historic
Preservation. Seven of Cornwall’s barns
are listed on the Connecticut State
Register of Historic Places.
The barns and sites chosen for this tour
are part of Cornwall’s dairy farming legacy
and can be easily viewed from the road.
This map is intended as a general guide,
created in conjunction with our 2015 exhibit,
MOO! Then & Now. Not all roads
or geographic features have been indicated.
Please note that the buildings on this tour are
private property, to be viewed from the side of
the road only; please do not trespass.
2. Lake Road Ice House
9. Hart Farm Barn
Gambrel Style
21. Corban Barn
New England Bank Style
Map Guide
Cornwall Historical Society, 7 Pine Street
1. Hautboy Hill Farm, 39 Hautboy Hill Road
Hautboy Hill Farm started in 1748. Dairy farming was an
important part of the farm’s operations from the 1860s
through the early 2000s. The farm’s large red barn is in the
gambrel style.
2. Harrison Ice House, 129 Lake Road
Dairy farmer Luman Harrison built this ice house on the
foundations of an 18th century house. Harrison used the
house to store ice cut from Cream Hill Lake during the
winter. The ice house has been modified in recent years for
use as a studio.
3. Scoville Farm, 256 Town Street
The Scoville Farm dates back to the 1700s. During the
1870s, it was one of the largest dairy farms in Cornwall.
Dairy farming remained an important part of the farm’s
operations until 2006. The farm’s main barn was built
during the mid-1800s. The nearby Scoville farm buildings
at 66 and 67 Scoville Road were added to the State Register of Historic Places in 2015.
4. O’Donnell Barn, 137 Town Street
Built in 1900, this is a multi-tiered barn, designed with a
project gable as the main entrance. Three-tiered barns like
this are rare in New England and Connecticut. The barn
has been converted to a private residence.
5. Hedgerows Angus Farm, 157 Cream Hill Road
Built during the 1800s, the farm’s barns are in the New
England Bank style. Easily viewed from multiple vantage
points along Cream Hill Road, they are part of an active
farm.
6. Cream Hill Farm Dairy Barn, 199 Cream Hill Road
Cream Hill Farm dates back to the 1700s. Cream Hill was
named for being the “cream of the town.” Dairy farming
was an important part of the farm’s operations from the
1850s until the early 2000s. The large red barn was built in
the gambrel style.