Re-Imagining the Spooner Railroad Park as a Center for Community and Railroad History, Recreation, and Edutainment

Abstract

Like many turn-of-the-20th century US towns, the architectural and cultural history of Spooner, WI started with a railroad. But remnants of that history are fading with the passage of time as are members of the community with personal experiences and insights tied to shared community memories. This thesis explores existing design precedencies and local Spooner personas to create a spatial design approach which reconnects Spooner’s railroad past with present-day historical and culturally relevant experiences. One of the last remaining examples of railroad architecture, the Spooner Roundhouse, has been selected as the dedicated space for this design approach. The design is delivered within the context of two visitor experiences to accommodate community gatherings, historical time travel and unstructured learning approaches. Finally, a mobile exhibition trailer has been designed and built to communicate the vision for long-term planning and investments.