The Blue Water Theatre Company is turning to the community and city leaders for support as it seeks to add its building at 605 Rice Street East to the National Register of Historic Places.
The youth performing arts nonprofit has called the former Wayzata Congregational Church home since 2017. The property’s history stretches back nearly a century and a half:
- 1881 – The vacant lot was sold to the Congregational Church.
- 1882 – The first frame structure was erected on the site.
- 1911 – The building was renovated and substantially expanded by renowned Minnesota architect Harry Wild Jones.
- February 26, 1916 – The renovated church was destroyed in a fire.
- September 10, 1916 – The church was rebuilt to Jones’s 1911 plan and rededicated.
This summer, heavy rains caused significant water damage to the building, leaving Blue Water with steep repair costs. “As a result, we have been forced to consider all options—including the heartbreaking possibility of selling the building,” wrote Janessa Prawer, a board member and marketing chair, in a letter to the Wayzata City Council. “The building represents far more than bricks and mortar—it is a home for creativity, growth, and belonging”.
City staff and the Heritage Preservation Board (HPB) have been engaged since July to explore how local designation and potential placement on the National Register could open doors to grants and preservation funding. At its September 23 meeting, the City Council considered authorizing the HPB to work with Blue Water Theatre on the application process, a step required by ordinance before any outreach to the state or federal level can begin.
For Blue Water’s 300 annual participants and the 8,000 patrons who attend performances, the building has become a cultural cornerstone. The theatre’s leaders hope historic designation will safeguard both the structure’s legacy and the opportunities it creates for young people on stage and behind the curtain.
