~Tour Waters Farm~

The Darling Barn in Summer and Winter

This circa 1840 Old English style barn was donated in 1989 by the David Picard family of the Manchaug village section of the Town of Sutton.

One of the few of this type remaining in the area, it is similar to  the barn constructed by Stephen Waters around 1760. That barn was removed by Stephen’s grandson Nathan in 1849 and replaced with a 40 foot by 60 foot structure which in turn was lost in the big 1938 hurricane.

In 1990 Bud Gurney raised $9,000 and had the building dismantled - then loaded on wagons using 16 draft horses from three states ( Massachusetts , Rhode Island and Connecticut ) to haul it to the farm. It was stored that February in two trailers. In 1994 it was erected on a foundation in the old pasture by David Stevenson. He did a great job!.

The “Old English” style construction reflects the type of barn whose main door is located on the length of the building instead of on the gable end. This entrance was high enough to allow a fully loaded hay wagon to enter the barn. The hay was then pitched onto the different levels of the loft floors to the right and left of the center aisle. To the back center loft are floor joists which are not notched as are all of the other floor joists. These joists could be removed or placed as needed and were used for drying grains.

The pitch of the roof was to quicken the run-off of rain and snow which would extend the life of the shakes (rough wooden roofing shingles). In the el near the stairs were three standing horse stalls. Two of the stalls were used for the working farm team, the third for the horse used to bring produce to market. To the back of the barn was the cow linter where up to 9 head of cattle stood.

The Darling Barn at Waters Farm is used extensively for meetings and local gatherings of Scout groups and clubs and houses crafters and demonstrations during Fall Farm Days. Within the Darling Barn you will find many antique farm implements and horse drawn vehicles on display. The cellar of the barn is used for storage.

Grants received for the barn were:  $30,000 from the Corridor and $22,600 from the Mildred Pierce Estate.

~Continue Your Tour of Waters Farm~