Barrington White House needs just $500,000 more

Now entering its first full calendar year of operation, the Barrington White House, a community center at 145 W. Main St., is less than $500,000 away from being fully funded through donations and grants, the White House's manager Beth Raseman said Monday.

Raseman said the center has received more than 350 separation donations totaling more than $6.3 million to pay for the dramatic renovation project that converted the 118-year-old former residence into a gathering space for the public, as well as office space for local nonprofit organizations.

She said the final cost of the project, which factors in environmental abatement, is $6.8 million.

In August 2015 the village estimated the cost to be around $6.5 million.

Raseman said she thinks the donations will pick back up in the spring when area residents who spend their winters elsewhere have returned to town and as more people step inside the building, which was first unveiled to the public on July Fourth and again in a more-complete state at two community open houses in late September.

Even though the construction workers have left there is no shortage of activity at the White House.

Since July, the building has hosted 25 cultural events and more than 20 paid or donor events throughout the building. Raseman said their has been plenty of interest in hosting events on the top floor, a ballroom with vaulted ceilings which can hold 150 people.

She said the Barrington White House is starting to book a lot of weddings and there was even already a call last week to reserve space for a Christmas party.

The local nonprofits who are leasing space on the building's second floor - Let it Be Us, the Barrington Area Conservation Trust and Barrington Children's Charities - have all moved in to their new offices, Raseman said.

Raseman said they are hosting an open house for people who are interested in volunteering at the White House as docents to lead tours through the house, hosts or hostesses for cultural events or in other capacities. The volunteer open house will be on Feb. 6.

More information about all events at the White House can be found at barringtonswhitehouse.com, a website that will receive an update in February, Raseman said.

On Monday, the village board of trustees approved a plan for Raseman to continue on as the community center's manager. Raseman, a former village trustee, has been with the project since before the village gave it the go-ahead in July 2013.