Blog Archive

8/25/13

See the timeless gift left to Stockholm….


The original builders in Stockholm made use of the readily available limestone in the area.  They tapped into what glaciers didn’t touch.  That’s right, didn’t touch.  The prominent hillsides and bluffs of the river valley exist because the glaciers were not here.  Consequently, our area is called driftless.  It is unique to Wisconsin.   The glaciers’ absence gave a timeless gift of limestone to the original settlers and today’s owners. 

Harley of Stockholm Gardens recently used area rock to rebuild a bridge on the upriver side of the Stockholm.  He explained that the limestone must be manipulated with a hammer, chisel, and diamond cutter.  Julius Hanson, a 6’3” Norwegian immigrant, constructed the original bridge in 1912 with rocks from the immediate area.  Harley, a skilled stone wall designer, updated Julius’s bridge and created a stunning piece of rock work.  Take a look at it here.

Often today limestone is placed in gardens as a retaining wall and a handsome backdrop for plants.  Many years ago limestone was used as a foundation in barns, buildings, and homes.  Since limestone absorbs and releases moisture through the exposed stone, farmers whitewashed the inside of their barns for sanitation.   A number of buildings in Stockholm use limestone.  Ingebretsen’s is an all limestone building while TansyHus is an excellent example of a limestone foundation. 

After selling real estate for sixteen years in Los Angeles and seldom seeing old homes with good foundations, I was amazed the first time I saw the limestone foundation at TansyHus.  At a prominent corner of Mill and Second Streets, the house sits up a steep hill from Highway 35.  Built in 1904, Tansyhus’s nearly two foot thick solid limestone foundation appeared solid and straight.  It provided a remarkable base for the proud and majestic century-old home.   

Stop by and see TansyHus’s foundation up close on your next visit to Stockholm.  Appreciate the timeless gift of limestone from millions of years ago that is still important in our foundations, bridges, and gardens. 

We’d love to see you again,
John and Sandra Myklebust
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