Roosevelt Hall – Barrett MN

Description

At the behest of the city of Barrett, Minnesota, the Civil Works Administration (CWA) built a combination public auditorium and high school gymnasium in 1933-34.  The CWA provided the labor from the ranks of local unemployed workers and the city provided the empty lot and pitched in $5,000 for materials.

The building was named Roosevelt Hall in honor of President Franklin Roosevelt. It served for around twenty years as the school gym and Barrett community hall.

The 34′ x 110′ structure is wood frame, with Western Red Cedar siding and a shingle roof. The roof is rounded in a style roughly reminiscent of a Dutch barn.  

The original maple hardwood floor of the gym is still in place, but the original stage and balcony were removed for a bowling alley in the 1950s. After passing through several owners, the hall was converted to a theater in 1981 and renovated with donated funds and labor.  A new stage and balcony were constructed at that time.

In 1983, Roosevelt Hall was purchased by the Prairie Wind Players, who still own and operate it for their theatrical productions.  It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Further renovations of the lobby area took place in 2004.