Gregorius and Mary Hanka Farmstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Gregorius and Mary Hanka Historic Farmstead
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The Hanka Farmstead's cattle and hay barn
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 7938 Pylka Road, Embarrass Township, Minnesota |
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| Area | 69 acres (28 ha) |
| Built | c. 1910–1915 |
| Architect | Gregorius Hanka |
| Architectural style | Log |
| MPS | Rural Finnish Log Buildings of St. Louis County, Minnesota, 1890–1930s MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 90000500 |
| Added to NRHP | April 9, 1990 |
The Gregorius and Mary Hanka Farmstead is a special historic place in Embarrass Township, Minnesota. It was started by a Finnish immigrant family around 1910. This farm is important because it shows how Finnish families built new lives in America.
The farm has four buildings that are still standing. They were all built using a traditional Finnish way of building with logs. This farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. It is important for its history in farming, its unique buildings, and its connection to European heritage. It shows how Finnish immigrants turned thick forests into useful farmland.
The Hanka Farmstead: A Historic Finnish Home
A farmstead is a group of buildings on a farm, including the house and other structures. The Hanka Farmstead was built by Gregorius and Mary Hanka, who came to America from Finland. They started building their farm around 1910, and most of the main buildings were finished by 1915. This farm is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota, a place where many Finnish immigrants settled.
Why Is This Farm So Special?
The Hanka Farmstead is considered a historic district. This means it's an area with several buildings or features that are important together. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places for a few key reasons:
- Agriculture: It shows how Finnish immigrants successfully turned cut-down forests into good farmland. This was a big challenge!
- Architecture: The buildings are great examples of traditional Finnish log construction. This style was common in Finland and was brought to America by immigrants.
- European Ethnic Heritage: The farm tells the story of how Finnish families built new lives and kept their traditions in a new country.
What Buildings Can You See?
The historic part of the Hanka Farmstead includes six important features. Four of these are buildings, and two are natural parts of the farm.
- The farmhouse where the family lived.
- A traditional sauna, which is a small building used for steam baths. Saunas are a very important part of Finnish culture.
- A cattle and hay barn for animals and storing hay.
- Another field hay barn for storing more hay.
These buildings were all made using traditional log construction. This means they were built by stacking logs on top of each other, often without using many nails. The farm also includes the original well for water and the agricultural fields where crops were grown.
There are other buildings on the property, but they were built later or moved there after the main historic period. These newer buildings are not considered part of the original historic district.
