The Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations, governing body of Woodlawn is pleased to announce the receipt of a $50,000 grant from the Davis Family Foundation, Yarmouth, Maine for the Campaign for Woodlawn. The Davis Family Foundation is a public charitable foundation established by Phyllis C. Davis and H. Halsey Davis of Falmouth, Maine. The Foundation supports educational, medical and cultural/arts organizations located primarily in Maine. Its grantmaking activities began in 1986.
The Campaign for Woodlawn will re-establish the existing Carriage Barn at the historic estate. The facility will provide year-round space, allow Woodlawn to attract a larger, more diverse audience to the estate, and provide the Hancock County community with much needed function and event space. Woodlawn will also gain exhibit space for its collection as well as traveling exhibits from other museums and organizations. An expanded, year-round facility will allow for the continued growth of the Woodlawn School Program, which currently serves 1,300 students annually, free of charge.
The Campaign for Woodlawn has a $4 million challenge grant from a private foundation and a $1 million dollar matching gift from an anonymous donor. Under the terms of the challenge gifts, every dollar received will be multiplied threefold. The total cost to establish the new facility, and include funds for an endowment, is $8.2 million. To date, the Campaign for Woodlawn has raised $5.92 million towards its $8.2 million goal.
Woodlawn’s executive director, Joshua Torrance shared his enthusiasm, “This generous grant from the Davis Family Foundation puts us closer to reaching our goal to establish an extraordinary, multi-use space that will be transformative for Woodlawn and our community.” For more information on the new facility and to make a gift to the Campaign, contact Torrance at (207) 667-8671.
Woodlawn is an educational, cultural, and recreational treasure for the people of Downeast Maine. The main house is open for tours May 1 – October 31 and December 1-23. The public park is open year round, sunrise to sunset. 19 Black House Drive (off of the Surry Road-Rt. 172), Ellsworth, ME.