The typical New England connected farm complex consists of the "big house", which acts as the standard family living quarters.
"[4]These types of structures were common throughout New England during the 19th century, but were found most frequently in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts.
[1] Through his travels and survey he was able to determine, to some level of accuracy, the distribution of connected barns and farmsteads in New England.
Connected farms were also frequently observed by Zelinsky in southern Maine, eastern Vermont, and portions of northern Connecticut.
[1] The PBS television series This Old House remodeled a homestead in this style located in Carlisle, Massachusetts.
[5] During the colonial period and into the 19th century farmers on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay built farmhouses that grew as the owner prospered.
Winters are milder in the Delmarva region, and unlike New England connected farmsteads the barn, while usually nearby, was not attached to the house.
[7] The architectural historian Ronald Brunskill identified four key types of connected farm structures found in England and Wales.
This type of connected farm was common as a defensive arrangement; living quarters were located high above for security reasons.