Farsund City History

You can take a walk and experience Farsund city for yourself. Plaques are fastened to various places around the city that give you some information on that particular piece of history. Maps are available at the Farsund Tourist Office.

The boathouse rows
The first rows of boathouses placed on islets next to the bathhouse on Naudodden, were built in 1931 and are the oldest of this kind in Norway. The boathouse rows built in this manner are distinctive for the southern part of Norway where there is little difference between high tide and low tide. 

Seamen's Home
The Seamen's Home was completed in 1931. Initiator was Farsund Seamen Association, in partnership with Farsund Council and the Farsund constituency of the Norwegian Association of Shipping Companies.The building contains a stunning series of pictures / photographs of all known boats registered in Farsund, and a series of photographs of all matriculation classes from the former local school for officers and masters. 

The Maritime City
Shipping has always had a central place in Farsund.  In 1837 there were 115 vessels with 470 crewmembers from Farsund.This plaque is mounted on the administrative building of the town’s oldest shipping company, Th. Brøvig shipping company, founded in 1889 by G. C. Brøvig. 

The city of steps
Farsund is located on the slope below the hill called Varbak, so the city naturally has a fantastic series of steps, short and long, with and without flat parts in between.The city has a total of 20 flights of steps in public spaces where the number of steps adds up to more than 500! A separate map of the location of the steps is available at the tourist office. 

Witch Burning in Farsund
Three women were burned at the stake supposedly on Engøy, the island after the one which this bridge leads to (Gåsholmen) after being sentenced to death for witchcraft.Lister County’s account shows listed expenses for diet in 1612-13 for those three women.

Monetary Road
After the fire of 1901, construction work is almost completed in 1904 - only the continuation of Theis Lundegaard Street down to the pier remains. This street stub is in general more expensive than expected - it reaches a total of 4000 kroner - and is christened by local wits as the “Monetary Road”, the road on top of this wall. 

The city fire 1901
A large fire started in Farsund on 12th August 1901. A fresh breeze from east-south-east faulty fire pumps, wooden houses and narrow streets made the disaster a fact.It started in P. Lehnes warehouse across the road from where this plaque is mounted. 140 houses were destroyed, two-thirds of the city! No lives were lost!

Houses in art nouveau style.
The row of houses along these docks is an excellent example of the city’s architecture from after the fire of 1901.  The houses here are built in the style of Art Nouveau, beautiful in design and a unique collection.  

Customs house
The house was built as a private residence by Jochum Jonassøn Lund before 1780, and the exterior is still as it was then! The house is one of the few surviving representatives of the great architecture that existed in the city before the great fire of 1901. It has been a merchant's house, customs house and post office.

Heart of the town
In 1853 the merchant Fredrik A. Otto built a house at Kirkegaten 44b in the Swiss style. Very unlike the usual standard of living in those days, this must have been a stately house with its 12 rooms and kitchen, built on three floors with an area of 200 square meters.  The residence barely escaped the city fire in 1901, protected by a garden full of fruit trees, and continuous hosing of the south wall and roof.  

The 4 trees
This house was built in the 1730’s by Jonas Eilertsøn Lund, a fine example of a patrician house in the Empire style.The four trees in front of this building mean something special. It is these four trees which form Farsund’s coat-of-arms today. 

Husan (the big house)
Built 1802 by Jochum Brinch Lund for his two sons, Gabriel and Ebbe. Husan with its 70 rooms is a monument to Jochum's period. Restored by the ship owner Jens G. F. Lund 1915-18, and extended at the same with new wings, a banquet hall and a ballroom. The building became the town hall in 1964, with an impressive function hall which is known as “the town’s grand hall”.  Husan was awarded the European Nostra prize in 1990 for successful restoration.