Chanhassen Historical Society

A Brief History of the History of the Chanhassen Historical Society

Formed by a small group of Chanhassen residents in 2007, Chanhassen Historical Society was intent upon preserving Historic St. Although it appears that the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre is the center of present –day Chanhassen, the actual downtown was adjacent to the front steps of that beautiful old church, where the Historic Villag

e Hall sits today. Hubert’s Catholic Community and repaired, preserved, and found tenants for that building for twenty years. Word of the expiration of that lease became public and a group of active citizens became worried about the fate of this historic building, which is a daily reminder of the rich history of Chanhassen. When the lease expired, the City council had to decide whether to renew. Times and finances being what they were, the City declined to renew the lease. The Historical Society worked tirelessly on re-use studies for the building – and held many community events there while the City of Chanhassen still maintained the lease. Alas, in August of 2009, after the lease expired, the maintenance responsibilities went back to St. Because of insurance issues, the building cannot be used by the public for the time being. While much of the Historical Society’s initial energy was focused on the preservation of this one building, we were pleased that so many citizens came forward with rich histories of this area, and stories to tell. One of our most successful education projects was the Cemetery Walk, held in October of 2009 and again in 2010. Our quarterly newsletter, The Chanhassen Historian, is a source of stories and information about Chanhassen’s past. Our fundraising efforts over the last few years have been well-received and successful. We know there is a place in our community for this organization by the increase in numbers of membership. And we need you! The Chanhassen Historical Society was formed with this mission: To enhance the lives of the larger Chanhassen community through the collection, preservation, interpretation and sharing of its history. The Board of Directors has worked in partnership with the Carver County Historical Society to make us a successful non-profit entity with long-term goals, one of which is finding a site to call our own where we can organize, archive, educate and enlighten the citizens of our community.