Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum facts for kids
 |
|
| Location | 502 West Water Street Decorah, Iowa, United States |
|---|---|
The Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa is a special place. It's the national museum for Norwegian-Americans. It also has a folk art school. You can see over 33,000 amazing items here. There are 12 old buildings and a library too.
Vesterheim has one of the biggest collections of Norwegian-American items anywhere. It shows off beautiful old and new Norwegian art. Some of its buildings are so important, they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum helps visitors understand how different groups of people came to America. It focuses on the story of Norwegian-Americans. You can also take classes to learn traditional folk art. Vesterheim also offers many events and talks about its mission.
Museum History
Vesterheim Museum started in 1877. It was first called the Norwegian-American Historic Museum. It began as part of nearby Luther College. In 1965, the museum became its own independent group. It got its own staff and leaders. Soon after, it was called Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum.
In 1969, Luther College loaned its items to the museum. In 1991, the museum officially owned these items. The museum's name was then officially changed. "Vesterheim" means "western home" in the Norwegian language.
The museum's main building used to be the Arlington Hotel. Luther College bought this empty building in 1932. The museum's collection moved there in 1933. Luther College sold the building to Vesterheim for just $1.00 in 1969. In 1973, the museum bought land behind the main building. This land would become Heritage Park.
Early Curators and Collections
The museum's first curator was Haldor Hanson. He worked there from 1895 to 1902. He was a music professor at Luther College. He changed the museum's focus. He wanted to show the daily life of Norwegian-Americans. He added new items to the collection.
Christian Keyser Preus was curator from 1911 to 1921. He got the idea for an "Open Air Division." He saw a collection of buildings at a museum in Norway. This museum was called Maihaugen in Lillehammer. Four buildings were moved to Luther College campus. This happened between 1921 and 1930. It was the first outdoor museum of its kind in the United States.
Knut Gjerstet was curator from 1922 to 1935. Under his leadership, the museum grew. It also became more well-known. In 1925, Norway celebrated 100 years of immigration. Museums in Norway gave many items to the Decorah museum. Maihaugen's curator, Anders Sandvig, helped collect these gifts. They filled five large semi-trucks when they arrived in the United States.
Anders wrote to Knut about the journey. He hoped these items would keep "Norwegian-ness" alive. He wanted the connection to the homeland to be stronger. He said, "Receive this gift as proof that we follow you all in our hearts." In 1930, Gjerstet bought 6,000 more items. These were called the P. D. Peterson Collection. Museums in Norway gave another large gift in 1939.
Folk Art School and Exhibitions
Vesterheim's Folk Art School started in 1967. It began with two classes. Carola Schmidt taught Hardanger embroidery. Sigmund Aarseth from Norway taught rosemaling. The folk art program grew quickly. In 1968, there were five classes with 63 students. They came from 12 different states.
Today, the school offers over 100 classes each year. You can learn fiber arts, painting, and woodworking. There are also classes in metalworking, food traditions, and language. Classes are held both at the museum and online.
The "National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition" also began in 1967. This yearly show features art from artists across the country. They compete for ribbons in five areas. These are rosemaling, weaving, woodcarving, knifemaking, and metalworking. Artists can also earn points for a Vesterheim Gold Medal.
Heritage Park: Historic Buildings
Heritage Park is a special area behind the main museum building. It has 12 historic buildings. These buildings show how Norwegian immigrants lived.
Painter-Bernatz Mill
The Painter-Bernatz Mill is located in Heritage Park. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. William Painter built this old stone mill in 1851. He was one of the first European settlers in Winneshiek County. Many believe it is the oldest building in Decorah.
Norris Miller House
The Norris Miller House is also in Heritage Park. Norris Miller was a carpenter from Ohio. He built this house in west Decorah in 1856. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Haugan House
Norwegian immigrants Hans and Anna Haugan built this house. They built it on a farm southeast of Decorah in the 1860s. They lived there until at least 1880. The house is a good example of a husmann dwelling. A husmann was a Norwegian tenant farmer. They often lived in simple log cabins. This type of home was common in Norway in the 1800s.
Valdres House
This house shows what a typical Norwegian landowner's home looked like. The Valdres House was built around 1795. It was on the Moahaugen farm in Heggenes, Norway. The house was made bigger in the 1860s. Vesterheim got the house thanks to rosemaler Sigmund Aarseth. Kolbein Dahle, from the Valdres Folk Museum in Norway, also helped.
The house was taken apart and shipped to Vesterheim in 1975-76. Norwegian carpenters put it back together.
Egge-Koren House
Erik Egge built this house in 1852. It was on his farm southeast of Decorah. In July 1853, he married Helen Pedersdatter. From December 1853 to March 1854, Rev. Ulrik Vilhelm Koren and his wife Elisabeth lived with the Egges. Koren was an important Lutheran minister. He helped develop the Norwegian community in America.
Elisabeth Koren wrote a diary. It was called The Diary of Elisabeth Koren, 1853-1855. It tells about four adults and two children living in a small, one-room log house during winter.
Norsvin Mill
Norsvin Mill was built in Norway in the 1800s. Knut Norswing gave it to the Luther College Museum. He wanted it to hold the millstones his grandfather brought to America. The mill and stones came from a farm in Norway.
Rovang Parochial Schoolhouse
Rovang Parochial Schoolhouse was built in 1879. It was built by the Washington Prairie Lutheran Congregation. For two weeks each term, children of Norwegian immigrants could attend this school. They learned about their Norwegian heritage. This included speech, language, writing, and religion.
Tasa Drying Shed
Knut Thompson Tasa built the Tasa Drying Shed around 1865. It was used to dry barley for making beer. People also used it to dry grains for food. Sometimes, it was even used as a bath house.
Mikkelson-Skree Blacksmith Shop
The Mikkelson-Skree Blacksmith Shop was moved to Heritage Park in 1971. Mikkel Mikkelson Sinnes built it around 1854. It was used as both a home and a blacksmith shop. It looks similar to old blacksmith shops in Norway. The Darrell Skree family donated the shop.
Wickney House
Anders Vikne (Wickney) built the Wickney House in 1879. It was on a farm in Northwood, North Dakota. His granddaughter, Ruth Wickney, donated the house and most of its furniture. It was moved to Vesterheim in 1982.
Erikson-Hansen Stabbur
Hans Erikson built the Erikson-Hansen Stabbur. It was in Byron, Minnesota. A stabbur is a building used to store food. It was built on stone pillars. This kept out rodents and other animals. The stabbur was moved to Vesterheim in 1988.
Bethania Lutheran Church
Bethania Lutheran Church was a country church. It was built in 1903 near Northwood, North Dakota. Vesterheim Director Marion Nelson was looking for an altar made by Osten Pladsen. He found one in a church that was being sold.
Church and religion were very important to Norwegian immigrants. So, it was decided to buy the entire church. This included its pews, communion rail, pulpit, and baptismal font. These were all built by Pladsen. The altar itself had already been given to Vesterheim. The church was moved to its current spot in 1992.
