Located on the Norwalk/Westport border, the White Barn Property had been the home of a 148-seat summer theatre and residence of Lucille Lortel, the "Queen of Off-Broadway" productions. Since 1947, the theatre was an asset to the community but was closed in 2002 and scheduled to be razed for the development of private residences.
Connecticut Friends School has an alternate vision for this property. The 1st Phase was to secure the property. The 2nd Phase will be to renovate the White Barn Theatre Building. Preserving its integrity, CFS will renovate the structure to feature classroom and support space to house its current program (now located on the five-acre site of the Wilton Monthly Meeting.) Phase 3 will be to build a separate forward thinking, Green Classroom Building to house its core academic program. The renovated Theatre Building will remain and function as a visual and performing arts center for its students and the community. The school plans to move to the renovated Theatre Building in the fall of 2009.
PHASE 1: Purchase of the Land — Acquisition of a Campus!
• Raise $500,000 for deposit on purchase of the land.
• Find a buyer to purchase the Westport lot (reducing purchase price).
• Develop plans and get approvals to build and operate a school on the property.
• Arrange for 5.2 acres of the 15.5-acre parcel to be put into a conservation easement.
• Work with the neighbors and the Norwalk Land Trust to secure a DEP grant from the state of Connecticut for $450.000.
• Secure $250,000 from the City of Norwalk for an Open Space grant.
• Secure grants from foundations.
• Close on the property.
Phase 1 is complete! Closing on the property took place on April 15, 2008
PHASE 2: Renovation of Historic White Barn Theatre — Designing Classroom and Community Space
• Develop plans with architect and initiate bidding process.
• Share and revise plans with stakeholders in the White Barn Property.
• Develop building plans and engage construction company and subcontractors to renovate the existing building.
• Move current Connecticut Friends School program to the renovated White Barn Property in the summer of 2009 after securing certificate of occupancy.
• Renovate the "garage apartment" as a caretaker's house.
PHASE 3: Construction of the Green Building
• Design with an architect a "green" building that is central to Connecticut Friends School's commitment to responsible living and stewardship of the land and our resources.
• Initiate construction of the central two-story building into the hill along with requisite site work as enrollment and funding dictate after the school has moved to the renovated White Barn Theatre. On the first floor administrative and community space will be built, and the mature middle school program will be housed on the second floor.
• Build the classroom "wings in the hill" as enrollment and funding dictate, locating all main classrooms in one contiguous building and reconfiguring the renovated White Barn Theatre as an Arts and Community space.
Enhancements to the CFS Program
Care and development of the White Barn Campus will inform a newly focused and incredibly hands on curriculum of the environment. The White Barn Campus is a rich in natural beauty and a variety of habitats to be studied, protected and enhanced. Students of all ages and Connecticut Friends School families and friends will learn from the land and benefit from its abundant beauty.
The renovated Theatre Building will be a home to an expanding commitment to the visual and performing arts.
With more space, Connecticut Friends School plans to add a pre-school program and to double in size, with a cap of 120 students (much of the effectiveness of the CFS community is tied to its intimate size, and this ambitious project does not lose sight of this foundational fact). The school will run a Connecticut Friends Arts and Nature Summer Camp at the White Barn property and host year-round "Mommy and Me" type classes to serve young toddlers. We also hope to serve compatible institutions such as dance schools or nature centers by encouraging periodic use of the property and buildings.
Giving Back to the Community
The combination of "outdoor classrooms" and sustainable architecture represents an opportunity to educate visitors with simple guided tours meant to inspire innovative thinking about stewardship of land (especially wetlands), ways to harness natural energy sources (and thereby cut down on consumption of fossil fuels), and mindful choices about building materials, waste management and construction practices.
Residents of the area will surely treasure such a multi-faceted resource including walking trails and open space, the school's leadership in energy and environmental design, and preservation and revitalization of an historic theater—an important part of Westport and Norwalk's cultural heritage. Beyond the local community, the school program developing on the White Barn Theatre property is designed to be a model that will provoke much discussion and inspiration in state, national and international school communities.
The property is a beautiful parcel of over 15 acres including a pond. Working with the city of Norwalk, the state of Connecticut, and local interest groups, CFS plans to set aside approximately half of the property for land conservation, most of which would be open to the public. The flora and fauna will be protected by careful environmental stewardship. In a community thick with houses, this green space alone will be a great asset.
CFS plans to re-establish the White Barn Theatre as a home for creative and educational events. Its original focus on innovative works will be embraced through the talents of CFS students and staff and local dramatic arts mentors. The theatre will also be a host venue for community functions and film screenings.
"As long as we own the property, we absolutely want to invite the public onto trails... and use it as a teaching tool to the entire community and region." —Kim Tsocanos, Co-head, CFS
The New York Times, Sunday, 10.22.06 (PDF)
The Advocate, Saturday, 2.24.07 (PDF)
The Advocate, Wednesday, 2.28.07 (PDF)
The Hour, Wednesday, 2.28.07 (PDF)
The Advocate, Saturday, 4.21.07 (PDF)
The Hour, Wednesday, 4.25.07 (PDF)
The Hour, Thursday, 4.17.08 (PDF)
The Advocate, Thursday, 4.24.08 (PDF)
Norwalk Citizen News, Friday, 4.25.08 (PDF)
The Hour, Wednesday, 10.01.08 (PDF)
"This is a fine, progressive school, and the project they have developed for the Norwalk property will be a model not only for all Connecticut schools but for schools across the country. As the project matches the goals of the program and, most notably, promotes a design of thoughtful innovation, responsible energy use, and a deep commitment to the environment and the beauty of the particular parcel of land, I know of no more exciting and outstanding school project. The residents of Norwalk and the state will take great pride in this project."
—Douglas Lyons, Executive Director of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (speaking before the Norwalk Planning and Zoning Committee at the public hearing for Connecticut Friends Schools White Barn Theatre Property, held in July, 2007)
"This is going to be a win-win for everybody in Norwalk."
—D. Steely Hubbard, Norwalk Land Trust
We have secured agreement between five different stakeholder groups (White Barn neighbors, Norwalk Land Trust, elected officials, the current owner of the property and CFS) as to how to place a portion of the site into conservation easement which will, in turn, reduce our purchase price for the White Barn property by $700,000 via city and state grants.
There is an immediate need to raise $2.5 million in funding for the renovation of the historic White Barn Theatre Building and related site work. The refurbished theater structure will serve initially as Connecticut Friends School's main classroom building on the property. Additionally we seek to pay down the remaining $4 million in land purchase costs. Phase 3 will take place in the future and will include building our "winged" green classroom building and further developing the site at an estimated cost of $10 million.
We are an unconventional school doing an unconventional capital campaign—seeking "those of similar leading" who feel called to help make this ambitious project a reality. Together we are a powerful force for good—founders, visionaries and pioneers who are optimistic and proactive—committed to education, conservation and arts leadership as a means to address pressing needs in our community and our world.
