Photograph by Shane Van Boxtel/Image Studios
In 2012, a group of Green Lake community members transformed the vacant county courthouse in the heart of the city into Town Square Community Center — a nonprofit dedicated to providing cultural, social, recreational and educational opportunities for residents and visitors of all ages.
Today the organization is led by Executive Director Kris Anderson, whose career has taken her to four states — including Illinois, Massachusetts, California and the latest: Wisconsin.
Insight: With a bicoastal career that has spanned nonprofit leadership and early childhood education, how did you end up landing at Town Square in Green Lake?
Kris Anderson: Certain things happen for a reason. I never thought I would live in a small town. But in 2021 my husband, Steve, and I were living in Chicago and wanted space. When we looked for a place to retire, we wanted to be on the water and be within three hours of Chicago. We looked all over and found Green Lake. We liked that the towns nearby have stuff to do — between Berlin, Princeton, Ripon and Green Lake, you can be very busy if you choose to. I had come from a nonprofit in Northern California, but I couldn’t find something like it in Chicago. My husband found the job at Town Square and at first I said I wasn’t ready; I had a five-year plan. But we really liked Green Lake. So I applied and it’s been eight months since I moved here full time. Our lives are just so much richer because we are getting to know people. I appreciate small towns a lot more now because I see how they are really important over generations. They give people an anchor. People who live in Green Lake — whether seasonal, local or new — have a deep love for the area and the lake. It really is a hidden gem. That love of Green Lake transfers to this passion for Town Square. You can see it in how volunteers have repurposed these spaces in different ways: a resale clothing shop, a play space for kids, an affordable fitness center. They all feel like they own it in some way.
At over 60,000 square feet, the building has a lot of space to be repurposed.
Yes, and it shows people being creative and meeting the needs of their community and creating fun. When you look at an old building and think “fun,” that’s cool — especially since it used to be a courthouse and where you paid taxes. We continue to think how we can offer something new to the community to keep it vibrant and interesting. It’s a testament to the community that we are committed to keeping the building here and not tearing it down. A lot of places tear down their history, but Green Lake has not torn down theirs. If you live in Wisconsin, you know it has a million small towns. You’ve seen a lot of them die. Town Square is one village’s effort to keep their town and history alive.
How is Town Square working toward that goal of community revitalization?
Town Square has helped a lot of businesses get started — Boerson Farm, Horseradish Kitchen + Market, moboevo. Sugarloaf Gardens started selling flowers at our Friday farmers market and now they have a subscription business. We have provided a place for businesses that’s affordable and centrally located to make connections as they get started. We are working with other downtown businesses to create activity because success breeds success. Engaging young families is important. If there are more young families in the area, that brings more activity. That’s why we do events like Dino Daze and one-week camps for kids that are totally affordable. There’s some new energy in town, which is really nice. I feel like this might be a tipping point in the area.
How is Town Square funded?
We are 100% privately funded. We receive no tax dollars. It’s people giving donations. We apply for some community grants and we have a couple fundraisers like our golf outing in August and the White Hot Party, which is held at a different lake home each summer. Sales at Hangers Resale support Town Square, and we do bingo once a month — which is super fun with a theme; people dress up and there’s a lot of door prizes. We get anywhere from 225 to 400 people a month at bingo. It’s a hoot. We do rent some offices, but it’s not a huge part of our budget. We are just happy to be an affordable place for other nonprofits to have their home. We are building an endowment that will help with our long-term sustainability. We have nearly $1 million either pledged or donated.
What is the biggest challenge for you right now?
COVID changed things for a lot of people — some people moved away and new people are coming in. The biggest challenge I think is engaging some of the newer people in the community. Volunteers are the heart and soul of Town Square. They keep it going. They help at the front desk, with building maintenance, at our events. Volunteers run pickleball on Thursday night and bingo every month. They sort clothes at Hangers. That has to keep going, so we have to keep engaging people.
Outside of special events, what spaces exist in Town Square that people can access on a daily basis?
Hangers Resale has gently used clothing and housewares. Green Lake Fitness Center is an affordable place to work out with weights, treadmills, kettlebells and things. The MakerSpace is a place for any age to do art projects. The Hub is a drop-in play space for children up to 10 years old that has a LEGO wall, a cozy reading place, a play kitchen and more. In the summer, Town Square Tap has music every Friday and Saturday. Our main lobby features the work of local artists every month. The Club Room on our lower level is for any club or group to use for smaller meetings. People can come play cards or Bunco. The Green Lake Bird Club has their meetings there. It’s a community center, and we want the community to use it.
It sounds like Town Square offers residents a lot of opportunities.
What I love is that Town Square is a blank canvas — for artists, for businesses and for ideas to grow. It’s a place for possibilities.
