Seitaniemi Housebarn - History and Restoration Annual Swede Finn Lunch Hibbing Minnesota August 1, 2019 TOPICS FOR TODAY’S PRESENTATION • Description of the Housebarn - Location - Historic Importance - Uniqueness • The Seitaniemi Family • Description of restoration and preservation work to date - Historic Structures Report - Phase I, II, III • Challenges - Work to complete restoration - Long-term issues - Future utilization • Embarrass: A Commercial
1 Summer 2019 – After Phase III Restoration Work 2 Location and Historic Importance
• Located in Waasa Township at the end of Comet Road • A beautiful 80 acre site with open terrain surrounded by forest • Housebarns common in many areas of Europe but rarely built in Finland • One of just three housebarns in the United States built by a Finn – the other two originally in the Upper Peninsula • Housebarn concept very different from traditional arrangement of Finnish homesteads – the square/rectangle - House - Cattle barn - Sauna - Stable - Hay barn - Root house
3 Location and Historic Importance…
• From the 1990 Register of Historic Places: - “The same high quality design and workmanship evident in the other Finnish log buildings is executed in the Seitaniemi housebarn.” - “The dove-tailed walls are extremely smooth and tight, indicating the expertise of the builder and his familiarity with woodworking tools.” • From Frank Eld’s book Finnish Log Construction - The Art: -“The Seitaniemi Housebarn is one of the most amazing examples of Finnish log construction in America.”
4 8162 Comet Road 5 Alex and Sofia Seitaniemi with Son Knute - Spring 1913 6 Family Gathering Summer 1917-18 7 Mid 1920s 8 Mid 1920s 9 1947 10 A tour - 1995 11 A tour - mid 1990s 12 2004
2004 13 Description of the Housebarn
• Under a common 92 foot-long roof, the housebarn combines a dwelling unit, animal shelter, and storage for crops and manure - Consists of four bays - Footprint of roughly 92’ x 28’, about 2600 square feet • Constructed in two phases - A two-story house and attached barn - Constructed of hewn tamarack logs joined by full dovetail corner notched - Includes a root cellar under the house - “The God’s corner”
14 Description of the Housebarn…
• Construction of two-bay addition began in 1913 - First bay is two stories high and includes a hay loft, a privy, and a manure handling area - Hay mow accessible on both sides by stone/earth ramps - The second bay served as the dairy barn - White washed, 13 stalls, well and watering system - Additional hay storage on second level
15 16 Aleksander Seitaniemi
• From Sodankylä in northern Finland • Uncommon name in Finland • Sodankylä known as one of the coldest places in Finland
17 Aleksander Seitaniemi…
• Born in 1875, died 1956 • One of five children from father’s second marriage • All but one emigrated to the United States • Met his wife Sophia Dorff in the United States • Key dates: - Immigration: 1903 - Naturalized: 1914 • Sister marries John Kangus
18 Aleksander Seitaniemi…
• Alex worked for a short time in Ely, then a job with Tower Lumber Co. • Purchased his 80-acre parcel in Waasa Township in 1907 from the Tower Lumber Co. • Children: - Knute 1912-1981 - William 1914-2003 - Lulu 1915-1997
19 Aleksander Seitaniemi…
• A successful farmer - Cream from the 12-14 cows (sold to local cooperative) - Pulpwood (sold to Embarrass cooperative) - In a good year 200 bushels of potatoes - Also sheep, rye, oats, hay - Size of 1924 frame house - New car/new truck story
20 Knute Seitaneimi 21 22 Bill Seitaneimi - Housebarn in background 23 Bill’s Cabin – “The Good Life” 24 History of the Project – Key Dates
• Bill Seitaniemi’s death in 2003 • The farmstead sold to Larry and Carol Schaeffer of Ely • The housebarn is given to Sisu Heritage by the Schaeffers and provided a 99 year lease for 50 ft. of land around the barn – 2007 • Preparations of historic structures report – 2009 - Assessment of the building’s condition - Need for remedial work - Plan to address deteriorated condition • 2010/2011 – Stabilization work begins with funding from the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Fund
25 Historic Structures Report 26 Historic Structures Report 27 Historic Structures Report 28 Phase I - Stabilization
• A careful clean up of the building • Temporary supports for the hay loft • Repair portions of the stone foundation • Reconstruction of the root cellar • Improving drainage around the entire structure • Restoration of the north hay loft ramp • Temporary repair to the roof structure and the metal roof • Temporary sheeting over doors and window openings • Assembling the tamarack logs needed for the restoration phase
29 Housebarn leveled on temporary cribs
Foundation work
Phase I 30 Restored root cellar
Braces applied to plumb building
Phase I 31 New tammarak logs
Marvin Pearson Homestead – source of replacement logs
Phase I 32 Phase II – First Restoration Work
• Replace sill logs and any other deteriorated wall logs • Finish restoring foundation and level the structure • Replace floor joists • Replace wood floor in the housebarn • Begin restoration of the interior of the cow barn
33 Header removal
End replacement
Phase II 34 Hay barn floor
Log splicing
Phase II 35 Phase II completion
New manure room wall
Phase II 36 Phase III – Restoration
• Major roof work including a new roof – steel, cedar shingles • Complete restorations of north and south ramps • New doors and windows
37 Another view of the project’s current state
Roof and window work
Phase III 38 Restoration/Progress to Date
• About $330,000 of funding thus far • Met budget and all quality targets • A few Bill and Knute stories and photographs collected • Public appreciation and recognition
39 The Future/Key Challenges
• Complete all restoration work - Archaeological survey - Root cellar entrance - “Steps” – house, horse barn, cow barn - Rebuild privy - New siding, including painting - South hay mow entrance/wall - Chimney - Restoration of the horse and cow barn interiors • Site work – signage, maps, walking paths, visitor outhouse
40 The Future/Key Challenges…
• Funding to complete the restoration work • Address long-term maintenance issues • Optimize the historical importance and the educational value of the farmstead and housebarn • Collect and publish family Seitaniemi “stories” • Establish an endowment
41 Embarrass – A Commercial
• Tours • National Sauna Day • Community Night Out • Nelimark Museum/Homestead Artisians • Hanka Homestead • Darwin Myers Wildlife Management Area • Pyhala Homestead • Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church • Timber Hall • Sliding Hill
42