The Barn Is Up
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- Created on Tuesday, 24 September 2013 20:35
- Written by Diana Cogger
LYNDON- It took all summer, but the Riverside School finally has the new barn they have been working for. Students got to explore and use the space for the first time this past Monday.
Over the past summer the Riverside School campus has been transformed.
Gone is the original 18thcentury barn and in its place stands a brand new building parts of the past are incorporated throughout the structure, from the time-accurate cupola on top, to wood from the original barn worked into the new building.
Last spring the school officially kicked off their fundraiser for the project called “A Barn Raising” totaling around $1.5 million. The barn is complete, but the fundraising is not.
The school has raised over $500,000 towards the cost of the new structure, through donations and efforts throughout the summer. There is still a long way to go; $700,000 in fact, that the school hopes to have by the end of this year.
With the challenges in heating and structural concerns of the old building, many parents are excited for the new space. For students like Henry Griffin, it’s a bit of a change.
"It's hard to get adjusted to it...because sometimes I'm like oh, the books are over here, but now in the new building they're actually over here."
As was discussed last spring, the school is excited to welcome the community and other organizations to use their new 240 seat performance and event space. Martha Hill, for the Riverside Institutional Advancement, had this to say:
"We hope that the community will want to come and use it...we already have the square dancers coming every Wednesday night to dance...so it's just going to be a wonderful building not only for the area as well.
