Wayzata station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wayzata station
The Wayzata Depot as seen from the docks on Lake Minnetonka
Location	402 East Lake Street Wayzata, Minnesota 55391
Coordinates	44°58′7″N 93°31′3″W / 44.96861°N 93.51750°W / 44.96861; -93.51750
Former services
Preceding station Great Northern Railway Following station Delano toward Seattle Main Line Minneapolis toward St. Paul Crystal Bay toward Hutchinson Hutchinson – Minneapolis Hopkins toward Minneapolis
Great Northern Railway Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Built	1906
Architect	Samuel L. Bartlett
Engineer	A.H. Hogeland
Architectural style	English Tudor Revival
NRHP reference No.	81000322
Added to NRHP	July 7, 1981

The Wayzata station is a historic train depot in Wayzata, Minnesota. It is also known as the Great Northern Railway Depot. The Great Northern Railway built and used this station. It was open from 1906 until 1971.

The depot is right next to Lake Minnetonka in downtown Wayzata. There are steps that go down to the lake. Even though passenger trains no longer stop here, the BNSF Railway line is still active. Trains still use the tracks today.

The building was designed by Samuel L. Bartlett. He used the English Tudor Revival style. The depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. The Burlington Northern Railway gave the depot to the city in 1972. Today, it is home to the Wayzata Historical Society Museum. It also houses the Wayzata Area Chamber of Commerce.

History of the Wayzata Train Depot

How the Railroad Came to Wayzata

The first railroad to reach Wayzata was the Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad. This happened on August 24, 1867. This company was a very early version of the Great Northern Railway. The first train station was located near Broadway Avenue. This is about three blocks east of where the current depot stands.

At that time, the train tracks were laid on Lake Street. This was the main road in town. When the railroad built tracks further west, people in Wayzata were not happy. Trains would create sparks and cinders. These would fall all over the business area. The railroad did not listen to their complaints.

However, the railroad also helped Wayzata grow. It connected local farmers to big city markets. It also made Wayzata a travel hub for Lake Minnetonka's growing tourism industry.

Challenges and Changes for the Railroad

The Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad had money problems in 1873. This was during a time called the Panic of 1873. In 1879, a man named James J. Hill bought the railroad. He and other investors renamed it the Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway (StPM&M).

Four years later, Wayzata became an official village. The first thing the village council did was ban saloons. Their second act was to move the train tracks. They wanted them away from the downtown area. In 1883, they passed a rule. It said the tracks had to move 300 feet (91 m) north. James J. Hill, who ran the StPM&M, ignored this rule.

The Lawsuit and a New Station

The Village Council decided to sue the railroad in 1889. Hill argued that state law was on his side. He also said that if the town kept suing, he would move the station. He threatened to move it almost a mile east of town.

In 1891, the Minnesota Supreme Court made a decision. They ruled against the Great Northern Railway. The court said the company was illegally using village property. This property was Lake Street, where the tracks were.

As he had promised, Hill tore down the old station. He moved it to a flat area. This was under what is now the Bushaway Road railroad bridge. The new station was named Holdridge. This meant Wayzata was literally taken off the train map.

A plaque describing the history of the depot

A New Depot for Wayzata

By 1905, the Village Council had had enough. They voted to make peace with the railroad. The railroad had been part of Hill's Great Northern Railway since 1890. Hill then decided to build a new depot. It would be near Wayzata's downtown area. It would also be on the shores of Lake Minnetonka.

The new building was finished in 1906. People thought it was the "handsomest" station. It was considered the best on the entire Great Northern line.

Trains stopped at the depot regularly until 1958. After that, it became a "flag stop". This meant trains only stopped if someone asked them to. The Great Northern Railway joined with other railroads in 1970. They formed the Burlington Northern Railroad. Soon after, Amtrak took over passenger train service in the U.S. This happened in 1971.

When Amtrak took over, all passenger service to Wayzata ended. The Burlington Northern company had no more use for the depot. So, they gave it to the city of Wayzata in 1972. The building was later fixed up. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Today, the depot is shared. The Wayzata Area Chamber of Commerce uses part of it. The Wayzata Historical Society also uses it. They have a museum inside the old waiting room. The museum opened in 2001. In the summer, the Museum of Lake Minnetonka runs a historic steamboat. It is called the Minnehaha. It leaves from a dock next to the depot.

Architecture of the Wayzata Depot

The Wayzata Depot was designed by Samuel L. Bartlett. He was an architect for the Great Northern Railway. He used the English Tudor Revival style.

The building has a stucco outside. It also has three gabled porticoes. These are covered entrances. They have curved wood decorations called half-timbering. The original lead glass windows are still there.

Inside the Depot

Inside, the depot has a waiting room. It has porcelain tile walls. The floor is made of terrazzo. This is a mix of chips and cement. Original waiting room benches are still there. There is also a freight agent's desk. Freight scales are also present. These items help show what it was like to check luggage for the train.

The building had modern features for 1906. These included indoor plumbing and a water fountain. These were not common in non-city areas back then. They are still original to the building.

The office area has the Depot Agent's desk. It also has the operator's desk. Various old items are displayed there. A ticket window connects the office to the waiting room. Behind the office is the baggage room. It still has its original wood plank ceiling.

Garden Railroad Display

In September 2006, a group called the Minnesota Garden Railroad Society (MGRS) set up a display. It was a temporary garden railroad at the depot. They did this to help Wayzata celebrate James J. Hill Days. This is an annual event.

People really liked the train display. This led to talks about building a permanent garden railroad. The City of Wayzata, the Wayzata Historical Society, and the MGRS met. In 2009, the City of Wayzata approved the project. This made it Minnesota's first public garden railroad display. The MGRS runs G scale model garden trains on weekends.