The Long Family
High school sweethearts Brian and Julianne Long are 20-year residents of Barrington, where they raised their two children, Jocelyn and Brenton. The Long family has made giving back to the community a priority, and they have supported many local charities through their family business, Long & Co. Jewelers of Barrington.
The Longs have always had a passion for The Catlow Theatre. Brian took Julianne on dates to The Catlow while in high school. The Catlow was designed by Alfonso Iannelli who worked for Frank Lloyd Wright. Brian, a college graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, studied the history & architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright while earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. In addition to the Long family seeing many movies at The Catlow, Brenton had his first job there in 2018. He sold tickets, worked concessions, made sandwiches at Baloney’s, and was even given a key to The Catlow at the age of 17!
Shortly after acquiring The Catlow Theatre in October 2022, the Longs realized this undertaking would need more financial resources than they could supply on their own. They made some immediate emergency repairs to exterior masonry and interior heating systems in the nick of time to get through that first winter. By the grace of God, they were able to save historic memorabilia dating as far back as 1927 when this historic theatre was built. This history will be preserved, and some of these relics will even be incorporated into the restored space.
The Catlow 1927 Foundation was established to fund the expansive and detailed restoration of The Catlow Theatre to its glory of 1927. Once open, The Catlow will host an array of exciting shows and live events which will help revitalize and enrich downtown Barrington and surrounding communities. The foundation will serve as a means for The Catlow, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, to financially self-sustain for generations to come!
