Wells Depot Museum receives prestigious 2010 Minnesota Preservation AwardMANKATO, Minn. (January 11, 2011) — The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota recently presented their 2010 Minnesota Awards. The Wells Depot received the Adaptive Reuse Award. Paulsen Architects--a full-service architecture, engineering, interior design and planning firm based in Mankato--designed the complete exterior and interior restoration and renovation of the historic building, which is designated on the Register of National Historic Places. The Minnesota Preservation Awards is the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota’s annual program that recognizes significant achievement in historic preservation statewide and celebrates those who have chosen sustainable reuse and reinvestment in our existing built resources.
In 2007, the Depot was scheduled to be closed and demolished by the Canadian Pacific Railway. To save the structure, the Wells Historical Society purchased the building, restored it and opened it as a museum this past August.
The exterior of the Depot had become severely damaged over the years from prolonged exposure to weather without maintenance. Paulsen Architects provided solutions for a complete restoration that included bringing the roof back to the original design of cedar shakes and cedar rain gutters. The paint on the exterior brick was removed to expose the original brick and an ADA ramp and restrooms were added to make the building universally accessible. The Depot’s interior also sat in a state of disrepair and required total restoration to now house the city’s historical society collections. Back
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