Phase One of the Project
Thank you for participating in Mansfield's barn survey project, which is part of a statewide survey coordinated by the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation (CTHP). The information and photographs that you gather will become part of the archives of the Mansfield Historical Society and of the CTHP.
This spring, we are sponsoring the project's first phase: a "windshield survey" that will document only those barns which are visible from the road. Barns that cannot be viewed from a public vantage point will be addressed in the next phase of our project.
How To Conduct A Mansfield Barn Survey
You will need the following set of documents to perform your survey(s):
- From the Mansfield Historical Society: Obtain a list of streets and addresses to survey, by calling the office at 860-429-6575. You may select a preferred Mansfield village, and the list can be faxed or mailed to you. (Please check the column under "Surveyed" for each address you visit, and the column under "Photographed" for each barn that you document. There is also a "Comments" column, for any additional notes you wish to make.) Note that the printed date for when each barn was built may not be correct.
- From CTHP: Download a Barn Survey Form (48k PDF file) and print as many as you will need for the number of barns you plan to document. If you are not sure how to answer some of the questions, just leave them blank.
Survey tips and precautions:
- You may also wish to download and print the document Connecticut Barn Typology (213k PDF file), which will help you to identify the type of barn you are surveying.
- You should complete a survey form only for barns that you can physically see and photograph from the road.
- Please do not enter private property at any time, without an owner's permission!
- In case you are questioned by a property owner, we suggest that you also print and carry a copy of this letter from CTHP which explains the project and its purpose.
- For your own safety, we recommend that you bring at least one other person with you while conducting your survey.
- When using a digital camera, try to take photographs at 300 dpi (dots per inch), or the highest resolution your camera allows.
- If using a traditional film camera, you should request that images be transferred to CD-ROM along with 4x6" prints, at the time your film is developed. You will need these digital files to upload at CTHP's site (explained below).
Please return the following items by MARCH 30, 2008 — or as soon thereafter as possible:
(A.) To the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation
- Copy the digital files from your camera or CD-ROM to an appropriate folder/directory on your computer's hard drive.
- Proceed to the CTHP web site to Submit Your Data.
- Using their online form (one submission per barn), enter the details which you have previously recorded during the windshield survey. Although the online form's inputs do not correspond exactly to the sections on your survey sheet (particularly the categories with checkboxes), you may enter any extra information — including comments — under "Field Notes".
- Enter your name and e-mail address where indicated. CTHP will contact you if they have any questions regarding your submission.
- Under "photos", click a "Browse..." button and navigate to the digital file for your barn photo, located on your computer's hard drive. When you double-click on it, the file name will appear in the form's "file" text field.
- In the "view" field (to the right of the "Browse..." button), please type the photo's description in the following order:
- town,
- street name,
- street number,
- your initials,
- a unique number for the picture (1, 2, etc.).
Example: if Todd Levine took two photographs of 940 Whitney Avenue in Hamden, he would document them in this manner:
- photo #1: "Hamden, Whitney Avenue, 940, TL, 1"
- photo #2: "Hamden, Whitney Avenue, 940, TL, 2"
- If you have additional photos of the same barn (such as different views), you may use the other "Browse..." fields to upload them. Please remember to employ the description method shown above, for each photo.
- When finished, click the "submit" button.
- To document a second barn, click the Submit Your Data link (top navigation), and repeat the process.
(B.) To the Mansfield Historical Society
- BARN SURVEY FORMS: paper copies of the completed CTHP Barn Survey Forms.
- STREET LISTS: Please fill out the "Surveyed", "Photographed" and "Volunteer" columns for every property that you visited. If you did not see a barn at one of the supplied addresses, please check off "surveyed" and then write "no barn visible" or some other appropriate comment in the "Note" column.
- PHOTOGRAPHS: 4x6" prints. Using a #2 pencil, please write the location of the barn on the back of each photo, employing the same conventions as described above. Do not attach photos to survey forms.
- CD-ROM (or) DVD: If possible, we would also like to receive the digital photo files.
You can return these items to the Mansfield Historical Society in one of three ways:
- By mail: P.O. Box 145, Storrs, CT 06268-0145. We recommend using appropriate cardboard stiffeners and/or a USPS-approved media container, to protect photos and CD-ROM from damage in transit.
- In person: at the MHS Museum on Tuesdays or Thursdays: 954 Storrs Rd., Storrs, CT 06268 (Route 195, across from Altnaveigh Inn).
- Drop them off: "In care of Jennifer Kaufman" at the reception desk of the Mansfield Community Center (10 S. Eagleville Rd., Storrs — next to Town Hall).
If you have any questions, please contact Ann Galonska at MHS: 860-429-6575 or by e-mail (select "Executive Director" from the contact form's recipient menu).
Thank you again for your help. We couldn't complete this survey without you!
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