Campaign for Woodlawn
Enhancing Community Pride and Sense of Place
Every Gift is a Welcome Gift
No matter how large or small, every gift is welcome in this community-wide effort to enhance, preserve and protect Woodlawn for generations to come. Under the terms of our $4 million challenge grant and $1 million challenge gifts, $1 you give will mean $3 for the project. You may make a one-time gift or make a pledge over five years. We also welcome your thoughts on the project and our fundraising efforts.
Campaign Goals
The Campaign for Woodlawn will help fund the first phase of the Master Plan for Woodlawn. The campaign goals include:
- Transforming the Carriage Barn into an engaging, year round space for student programs, large functions, changing exhibits, and other public programs.
- Improving the landscape to facilitate increased use.
- Increasing Woodlawn’s endowment to support expanded activities.

Project Description

Carriage Barn
Woodlawn’s Carriage Barn, as it now stands, is a result of a reduction in size and remodeling in 1948. What is left of the altered barn is in a dilapidated condition. The Trustees’ plan is to reconstruct the barn to its original size and appearance, using as much of the existing fabric as possible. The newly constructed barn will hold educational and programming spaces as well as a large community gathering space. It will also include the preserved stalls and tack room. Specifically, the new barn will include:
- A 2,665 square foot multi-purpose community gathering and educational program space. This flexible space will hold up to 178 people for a seated event and host everything from school programs to musical performances, weddings and lectures.
- A 1,114 square foot changing exhibition gallery to showcase Woodlawn’s treasures, present exhibits from other museums, or local art shows.
- A 400 square foot kitchen to facilitate the use of the barn for functions and events.
- A 1,274 square foot lobby which will include a ticket counter, a gift shop, and a small exhibit to orient guests about Woodlawn’s story.
- Support spaces including staff offices, a meeting room, and work spaces.
Site Improvements
Equally important to the reconstruction of the Carriage Barn, Woodlawn’s grounds will be improved.
These include:
- New parking areas, hidden in the woods to preserve the character of the estate’s open fields, that will serve 65 cars.
- New pedestrian pathways that will ensure safe travel across the estate.
- Site improvements that will facilitate outdoor events that work in harmony with the newly constructed Carriage Barn.
- New utilities (electrical, telecommunications, and water/sewer) that will facilitate the use of the Carriage Barn for events.

– Mary Jordan-Carter,
Ellsworth 5th Grade Teacher
Project Budget
The project budget is $8.2 million. The budget includes:
Building Construction | $4,000,000 |
Site Construction | $1,000,000 |
Design and Construction Management | $500,000 |
Contingency | $400,000 |
Enabling Costs (Permitting, utilities, fundraising, funiture and equipment) | $300,000 |
Endowment | $2,000,000 |
Total | $8,200,000 |