Graeser Park now eligible to be put on National Register of Historic Places

A wayside in Robbinsdale is now eligible to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places after the property was reevaluated.

Andrea Weber, the program manager for the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s (MnDOT) Historic Roadside Properties and Waysides, has led an effort to rehabilitate Graeser Park – also known as Robbinsdale Rock Garden Roadside Parking Area – as well as its reevaluation of a historic place.

The park includes stone tables, a rock garden and beehive fireplaces that were created during a program authorized by President Franklin Roosevelt.

According to MnDOT, Highway 100 – which was created in the 1930s – was the first highway with a cloverleaf interchange built in the state and was then known as Lilac Drive. However, in the 2000s, it was rebuilt, causing many waysides and the Lilac Way Historic District to be eliminated.

Although the area was identified as historic in the late 1990s, MnDOT was able to salvage and store many stone tables and stones in Robbinsdale, and restoration efforts began three years ago.

The agency says it is currently in the process of giving the park to Robbinsdale. CLICK HERE to learn more about the park.