Lakeshore Learning Center

The Section Foreman House, built in 1902, is a central and pivotal building for Wayzata and an ideal location to spotlight Lake Minnetonka’s history. Built by the Great Northern Railroad and located just yards from the lakeshore, the building served as a residence for railroad foremen and their families. Similar houses were built at regular intervals all along the rail line to allow for the maintenance of the railroad tracks, but this is one of the last of these houses still standing in Minnesota. Panoway will restore this historic home and repurpose it into a new Lakefront Learning Center, providing indoor and outdoor classroom and community space as part of the newly created Eco Park. The Learning Center will feature educational programming about lake ecology & early 20th century railroad operations and the influence of the Great Northern Railroad on the geographic, economic, and social development of Wayzata. Already named a Wayzata Historic Landmark, in 2021 the Section Foreman House joined the Depot as the second building in the city to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.