Two calendar years have passed since a serious barn fire ripped through Goshen Historic Track in New York State and reduced time-tested structures to rubble. Now, after the extended period of time, Goshen is ready to rebuild.
The fire had spread quickly on August 23, 2017. Miraculously, due to the brave response from horsepeople, Good Samaritans and fire response units, no horses were injured during the ordeal. The three-alarm blaze drew 75 firefighters from a total of 16 platoons. Luckily, all 10 of the horses stabled in the barn were led to safety.
The horses may have walked away from the ordeal unscathed, but the same could not be said about the affected structures.
The national historic landmark – which began hosting racing in 1838 and is the oldest active trotting track in the world – was faced with the tall task of rebuilding the burnt barns. Members of the harness racing industry and local community did what they could to help the process, as roughly $25,000 was generously donated to help Goshen rebound from the catastrophe.
A Standardbred pictured jogging in front of one of the structures that was affected by the 2017 barn fire
George Casale is the vice president of Goshen Historic Track and is also counsel to the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, which is located just next door. He recently explained to the Times Herald-Record that a plan has been greenlit that will ‘preserve the original character of the stables and barns that were destroyed in the fire, and reallocate space for better use in the future,’ according to the article.
One aspect of the plan calls for the rebuilding of classic structures that were burnt, while another calls for former stable footage to be reallocated in order to provide a new interior for the Harness Racing Museum. The plan, according to Casale, will allow the museum to increase its ability to archive and present the history of the sport.
The museum opened in 1951. Its current collection has grown to include some 70,000 items, which range from photos, documents and books, to racing equipment, paintings and sculptures.
An artist’s rendering of the rebuilt barns appears below.
An artist’s rendering of a rebuilt barn at Goshen Historic Track
(With files from the Times Herald-Record)