Gambrel Roof Barn History

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.

Gambrel roof barn history.

The extended roof created great storage space. As a storage shed a gambrel roof can make the very most of a small amount of space. The history of the gambrel roof dates back to the eighteenth century. Look up gambrel in wiktionary the free dictionary.

However the oldest example of a gambrel roof was built in 1677 on the second harvard hall at harvard university in america. The first harvard hall harvard university credited to be the oldest known example of a gambrel roof in north america built c. Barn with a gambrel roof. 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.

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. A peak period for the construction of these barns must have been the decade of the 1880 s. The word gambrel originates from the medieval latin word gamba that means leg or horse s hock. A gambrel roof allowed more usable space overhead than a gabled roof.

Comparison with the three bay barn. A typical barn roof is a common example of a gambrel roof. The origin of the gambrel roof in north america is unknown. Think of a typical barn roof the most common gambrel roof most people see.

Originally built as a barn in the american colonies by early dutch settlers this style of roof has also become popular for projects including homes and of course sheds. Near the ground mark the prairie barn. The gambrel shed has a long and varied history. History of gambrel roofs.

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. Another candidate for oldest gambrel roof said to be from 1666 alexander standish house. 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. During the period this roof was commonly referred to as the dutch roof particularly in england and north america.