Town of Cheshire officials and community members formally dedicated the town's new elementary school in honor of Colonel Harvey C. Barnum Jr., a Cheshire native and Medal of Honor recipient. Speakers at the ceremony described the naming as a way to connect students to local history and the values of service, sacrifice and leadership.

Dr. Jeff Solon, representing Cheshire Public Schools, opened the program by saying the district was “excited to forever recognize an American hero and Cheshire Public Schools graduate, Colonel Harvey C. Barnum Jr., for his contributions to our country and this community.” The Next Generation School Building Committee displayed renderings of the under-construction building and outlined a design organized around a farms-and-fields theme meant to reflect the town's agricultural heritage.

“The picture behind me — that’s what the school is going to look like,” Rich Gusenberg, chair of the Next Generation School Building Committee, told attendees, describing the building’s layout: a preschool area, a classroom wing with steel framing already in place, and interior spaces named for local farm imagery. Gusenberg said students will progress from a “caterpillar corner” for kindergarten to a “butterfly field” for grades 1–2, a “barnyard” for grades 3–4 and “open pastures” for grades 5–6.

Samantha Rosenberg, chair of the Cheshire Board of Education, said naming the building after Barnum was “symbolic” and intended to provide students with a living example of the district’s values. “Naming the school after you, Colonel, is a tribute not only to your service, but to every individual and family who has given up themselves to protect the freedoms we often take for granted,” Rosenberg said.

Mayor Peter Daven noted Cheshire’s connection to two Medal of Honor recipients and emphasized local pride in the namesake. Town Manager Sean Kimball described Barnum’s combat leadership and post-service advocacy for veterans, saying, “Colonel Barnum’s story is one of uncommon courage, steadfast leadership, and lifelong service to our nation.”

Representatives of Because of the Brave joined the ceremony; a speaker from that organization noted Barnum also will have a U.S. Navy destroyer named for him, the USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG‑124), expected to be commissioned the year the school opens. Colonel Barnum, addressing the crowd, reflected on growing up in Cheshire, his service and the role of community institutions such as scouting and the fire department in shaping him. “I stand before you this morning as a grateful American,” he said.

Officials and speakers repeatedly framed the naming as part of broader work to connect students to civic values and local history. The town and school district said the new Barnum Elementary School is scheduled to open in September 2026; the building remained under construction at the time of the dedication. The ceremony concluded with a presentation of a commemorative framed poster to Barnum and photographs with scouts and the color guard.

Details not specified at the ceremony included the formal vote record or ordinance that approved the school’s name and the project’s full budget breakdown.