WOODBURY — The logistics are overwhelming. The permits. The legalities. The pandemic. The change in ag directors. The long and complex journey of Nonnewaug’s new horse barn took years to come to fruition.

Many are wondering where this new horse barn came from. What they don’t know is that this plan has been in motion for nearly a decade. 

Ten years ago, Nonnewaug agriscience director Bill Davenport started the project the community is seeing in motion today. 

Davenport started the project by pitching it and getting the project formally approved at the state level. Following Davenport’s departure in 2019, then-Nonnewaug agriscience director Ed Belinsky finished the final hurdles and got the construction project started.

“My biggest contribution to this project was not giving up,” said Belinsky. “Former agriscience director Bill Davenport and retired horse management teacher Liz Webb originally submitted the project, and I inherited it when I became director in 2019. Since then, the project almost failed four times and came very close to not happening at all. Past superintendent Wayne McAllister and current superintendent Brain Murphy both played vital roles in keeping this project alive.” 

Jennifer Jedd, a longtime agriscience teacher, is grateful to see the project finally nearing completion.

“The project is going on over 10 years now, from initial plans to grants and the approval process and actual construction,” said Jedd. “There were many delays in the grant and planning process due to grant monies and requirements from the state, town, and school, and also COVID and subsequent financial and supply chain delays, but I was really excited to finally see it start going up.”  

The horse barn has elicited many questions and positive feedback from the public. A large percentage of funding for the project has been sourced from the state, and the remaining funding came from Region 14 towns. After learning about what the project is going to do for Nonnewaug students’ education, they seem to approve of the project.  

Agriscience students are excited to use the new barn for learning about equine management and care. 

“We’re going to have an indoor arena,” said senior equine science student Aurora Francisco. “Also, it’s a bigger barn than the one we have, so that’s pretty cool. Also, I think we’re getting cross ties, which is going to be nice so we don’t have to groom outside in the cold or in a stall.”

This isn’t just a horse barn, but also an indoor arena, sugar shack, and pole barn.

“The sugar shack is for maple syrup,” said Marisa Bedron, the equine science teacher. “The pole barns are going up to replace the old pole barns for storage. In the horse barn is an indoor arena so the class can carry on with the curriculum without worrying about weather, as well as horse care, and the old horse barn is becoming a livestock building.”