Swensson Farm Museum

Swensson Farm Museum
Swensson farm house
Established1967 (1967)
Location115 100th Street SE, Granite Falls, Minnesota 56241
TypeLocal History
Executive director
Celeste Suter
Websitechippewacohistory.org
Olof Swensson Farm
Olof Swensson Farmstead
Location115 100th Street SE, Granite Falls, Minnesota 56241
Coordinates44°52′43″N 95°35′33″W / 44.878568°N 95.592478°W / 44.878568; -95.592478
Area17 acres (6.9 ha)
Built1901-1903
ArchitectOlof Swensson
Architectural styleItalianate, Georgian
NRHP reference No.74001010[1]
Added to NRHPDecember 30, 1974

The Swensson Farm Museum is a historic farmstead located in Chippewa County, Minnesota, six miles (10 km) east of Montevideo. Established by Norwegian immigrants Olof and Ingeborg Swensson in the 1880s, the farmstead today serves as open-air museum operated by the Chippewa County Historical Society showcasing pioneer life and Swedish-American heritage.[2]

The farmstead

The centerpiece of the museum is a grand 22-room brick farmhouse built around the turn of the 20th century. [3] Many original furnishings are retained in the interior of the house.[4] The farmhouse also contains a 38x38 foot chapel on the second floor, where Swensson delivered his own sermons.[5] In the basement, the house contains designated areas were allocated for metalworking, woodworking, harness and blacksmithing, along with a room for agriculture and a fruit cellar.[3]

Elsewhere on the grounds, there stand an 1880s wooden barn[5] and a grist mill that was originally animal-powered, then steam-powered.[5]

The Swensson Farm Museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, for its architecture and its contributions to the social history of Minnesota.[6]

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. ^ "Chippewa County Historical Society". Chippewa County Historical Society. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  3. ^ a b "Swensson Farm shows the power of agriculture and horses at annual event Sept. 10". West Central Tribune. 2022-09-03. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  4. ^ "Finding Minnesota: Swensson Farm - CBS Minnesota". www.cbsnews.com. 2016-07-17. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  5. ^ a b c "Chippwa County historical barn in need of major facelift". West Central Tribune. 1999-12-31. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  6. ^ Van Brocklin, Lynne (1974-08-22). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Swensson Farm". National Park Service. Retrieved 2024-04-11. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

See also