Through the years
- 1857The congregation begins under Father Bruno Riss, meeting in private homes
- 1858A frame church is built for $600
- 1875A new church for the growing congregation
- 1900 or 1901The brick church you see today
- 1904The cyclone of 20 August damages the roofs around the church and the original small church
- 1908St. Joseph School and Convent, with a small cupola, open beside the church
- 1999The 1908 school and convent are demolished
The story
St. Joseph’s was the first church built in Waconia. The congregation began in 1857 under Father Bruno Riss, meeting in private homes. A frame church followed in 1858, built for $600, and another in 1875 as the congregation grew.
The brick church came next, built of Chaska brick. In the early 1900s photographers climbed its steeple for some of the bird’s-eye views of Waconia the association still has. The cyclone of 20 August 1904 tore shingles from the roofs around it and partly damaged the original small church nearby.
The 1908 St. Joseph School and Convent stood beside the church until 1999. Today the parish has a large Education Center.
