Gambrel Roof Barn History

A peak period for the construction of these barns must have been the decade of the 1880 s.

Gambrel roof barn history.

The history of the gambrel roof dates back to the eighteenth century. The first harvard hall harvard university credited to be the oldest known example of a gambrel roof in north america built c. During the period this roof was commonly referred to as the dutch roof particularly in england and north america. The gambrel shed has a long and varied history.

Think of a typical barn roof the most common gambrel roof most people see. As a storage shed a gambrel roof can make the very most of a small amount of space. Sometimes the new england barn is framed with studs in the walls and horizontal sheathing boards instead of the more common rails with vertical sheathing. In the mid 19th century experimental barns such as the round barn generated much interest among farmers in the efficient utilization of space and greatly influenced the layouts of later barns.

History of gambrel roofs. This style is also a standard roof design found in dutch colonial houses and some historians suggest that early dutch. The origin of the gambrel roof in north america is unknown. Comparison with the three bay barn.

Barn with a gambrel roof. The extended roof created great storage space. A typical barn roof is a common example of a gambrel roof. Near the ground mark the prairie barn.

It is my impression that most of the dates one sees most often on them carved into the peak or cornerstone painted on doors or cupolas or laid with contrasting color slates into slate roofs are the years between 1880 and 1890. The word gambrel originates from the medieval latin word gamba that means leg or horse s hock. However the oldest example of a gambrel roof was built in 1677 on the second harvard hall at harvard university in america. Another candidate for oldest gambrel roof said to be from 1666 alexander standish house.

The late nineteenth century and early twentieth century barns are characterized by a gable or later gambrel roof of varying framing techniques few windows square wooden cupolas lightning rods timber frames or modified built up frames and doors with commercial hardware. Late in the nineteenth century the adoption of the gambrel roof enlarged the storage capacity of the haymow even more affinities of this barn type with the dutch barn are striking. The long low roof lines the door in the gable. Look up gambrel in wiktionary the free dictionary.