On Tuesday, December 10, patrons of The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary were met with the sounds of mallets hammering pins into the frame for Catherine’s Learning Barn: the new, permanent structure on the property that will serve as an educational facility for private and public events.

Jenny Hubbard, Catherine’s mother, was the first to hammer in a pin for the ceremonious event at the sanctuary's Commerce Road property. Hubbard had reached out to the community and invited them for an official “barn raising,” a tradition America has been a part of for centuries.

The crowd fell silent watching her take part in this surreal moment for the sanctuary, days before the 12th anniversary 12/14. When the first pin was in, the crowd cheered and rushed to grab white hard hats branded with VERDI construction and the sanctuary’s logo, and wooden mallets also adorned with the sanctuary logo, so they, too, could help raise this barn.

Hubbard began the chilly, damp morning by welcoming everyone to the active construction site.

“It is my absolute pleasure to welcome everybody here today. It means a lot. It’s a busy time of year, and the fact that you carved out time to be with us as we mark this really exciting moment in the sanctuary’s history is really special.”

She shared a little bit about her daughter, one of the children who died at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.

“Catherine’s vision, it was simple, but it was profound. She just wanted to make sure that every animal in her care knew that she was kind and that they’d be safe. It’s the principal of what we do here every day at the sanctuary.”

Hubbard noted she was lucky to work with such great people on this project, including Verdi Construction, Country Carpenters, and PH Architects.

Roger Barrett III spoke on behalf of Country Carpenters. He shared with the crowd, “Community leads to something greater.”

Barrett added, “Barn raisings have brought communities together for centuries, gathering up people with one goal: to raise up something bigger than the individual. It is in that spirit that we gather here today, surrounded by those who have worked and will work to build up the building, the sanctuary, and this community.”

Hubbard then welcomed Pete Paulos on behalf of PH Architects, saying, “Pete, your unwavering support and friendship is the backbone of our mission … his team [has] been more than just architects. They’ve been true partners in our journey.”

She added that the sanctuary has “never received a bill” from the architects, “for that, I am truly grateful.”

“As an architect,” Paulos began, “you strive for projects like this where you can actually see a barn raising, and in true, quintessential, New England fashion … As Jenny said, we stood in Jenny and Freddy’s living room and discussed about what she wanted to do in honor of her daughter. And she wanted to create an animal sanctuary.”

“From that point on, I knew we needed to help. I knew we could help … Over a decade now, we have been working to bring that to fruition. I am so privileged to be here and finally see this path forward,” Paulos said.

Hubbard then welcomed Kurt Verdi to speak, introducing him by saying, “Verdi’s commitment to quality and attention to detail is evident in everything that they do. Their team’s care and dedication to this project has gone way beyond construction of a building. They’re helping us honor Catherine, Catherine’s spirit, and her love for animals. Their team has shown remarkable thoughtfulness keeping watch over her and her sanctuary.”

“I pass the entrance to the sanctuary on my way down the road to the office, and on my way home each day,” Verdi began. “You see, our office is just a few hundred yards [away]. I mention this to say that by the time we met with Jenny, Verdi construction already felt not only like neighbors of the sanctuary, but companions to its mission.”

Verdi added, “What we’re about to raise up into the air before us … is made of timber, concrete, and steel, our stock and trade, but it is also the product of deep imagination, collaboration, friendship, and heart. It’s the common commitment of makers and designers, paired with a mother’s steadfast vision of what could be.”

After Verdi spoke, the workers escorted volunteers up in small groups to help raise the barn.

Hubbard shared with The Newtown Bee that the experience felt like a “continuation of Catherine’s legacy.”

She also shared that the barn is “the fruition of Catherine’s spirit,” and an opportunity “to educate more people and welcome the community.” The barn will allow the sanctuary to “expand [their] programming to people that otherwise wouldn’t be able to experience [it].”

Hubbard said watching the first wall go up “was extraordinary.” The barn is set to open in spring of 2025, and the sanctuary will still be open for public use throughout the winter and ongoing construction.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.