Maryland

Calvert Barn, Bowie, Maryland  (38.903472, -76.761666)

Felling Date: Primary Barn  Winter 1823/4

Site Master 1729-1823 (oak) CVMDx1 (t = 6.14 coebarn; 5.61 exchange; 5.39 LLS3).

The Calvert Barn measures approximately 60 feet long by 52 feet wide with the ridge of the roof running roughly northeast to southwest. The barn is accessed by doors on either gable end as well as doors opening to a transverse passage between bents 4 and 5 (bents numbered beginning at the northeast gable end). The barn is comprised of a 24’ wide central block made up of 7 bents placed on 10’ centers and rafter pairs with four collars set on 5’ centers. These rafter pairs sit on a tilted false plate measuring approximately 4" square. Sheds are located on either sidewall, measure about 14’ wide and run the full length of the barn. Both of these sheds appear to be original features but have been extensively repaired and are now covered by a new roof system with a steeper slope than the original. The rafters and collars are secured with wrought nails while the vertical board siding is secured to girts using machine cut nails. The principal framing members are hand hewn while braces, rafters, etc. are hewn and pit sawn or riven. The barn exhibits a significant amount of soot staining in the roof structure which indicates that tobacco was fire cured in the barn, a practice which began to fall out of favor in this area in the 1830s. (Peter Morrill)

Dendrochronological analysis has shown that the building was constructed from timbers felled in the winter of 1823/4.

"Worthington, M J and Seiter, J I 2021 “The Tree-Ring Dating of Calvert Barn, Bowie, Maryland,”Oxford Tree-Ring Laboratory Report 2021/14"

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