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
