Immediately after the 4th of July Parade, village officials and the Barrington White House Steering Committee will untie the ribbon on Barrington’s birthday gift to itself – a vibrant community and cultural center and event space in the heart of our downtown.
Construction, interior furnishings and landscaping of the house are being funding through private donations; the center will host cultural events for Barrington residents of all ages. With office space for local nonprofit groups, it also offers a spacious ballroom and full catering kitchen to provide a beautiful venue for celebrations.
Here’s the lineup of the July 4 celebration events at the White House:
- The grand opening will be presided over by and Village President Karen Darch, Steering Committee Chairperson Mary Smith and Project Coordinator Beth Raseman
- Enjoy musical entertainment from hometown talent kicking off the celebration; at noon, Tim Dunn of Barrington will read the Declaration of Independence from the home’s stately front porch.
- Throughout the day, take a self-guided tour through the 1898 home to see the renovation progress and to learn more about its history and unique architecture.
- On the third floor ballroom, view 18 exhibitors of local historic artifacts, and memorabilia and talk with the people and organizations that collected them.
- Watch a time-lapse video of the yearlong construction project, as well as photographs documenting the process.
- Learn more about the many varied cultural events, classes and activities already on the White House cultural calendar. Sign up to volunteer at Barrington’s White House and find out more on how you can rent all or parts of the house for your events or special celebrations.
- Join your neighbors in helping to raise the $1.2 million needed to complete this lively addition to village life. Donors of $1,000 or more will be recognized on the Donor Wall in the house. Gifts may be paid over a multiple year period. See the “Donate” tab of the Barrington White House Web Site for further details. www.barringtonswhitehouse.com
- Enjoy cupcakes and lemonade after the tour
Event organizers are extending a warm welcome to this grand opening event and hope we will join us to celebrate the beginning of an exciting new chapter for this Barrington landmark. For more information visit BarringtonsWhiteHouse.com.
