Woodwork & Craftsmen

Nowhere else are the traces of history so clear as in old woodwork.

Over hundreds of years, thousands of hands created a feeling that only time could offer. Quality was of upmost importance in Hälsingland farmhouses. The timber was of the best sort, taken from their own forests. Of course, the skills of excellent craftsmen was crucial. If the economy was healthy, walls and ceilings were painted in oil colors, adapted to the paintings or wallpaper in the room. The façades were attired in columns and capitals inspired by ancient Greek temples. The ambition was to recreate the stately architecture of stone palaces using the Hälsingland forest. Totalities were thus created with stylistic accuracy. The high quality of the materials and handicrafts guaranteed a long lifetime.

Woodwork

The most elegant woodwork can be found in Färila and Ljusdal. In Alfta, there are fine fully-paneled rooms and doors with the special Alfta tulip on the middle pane – a decoration that originated from the pulpit in the church at Alfta. In north-east Hälsingland, the woodwork is simpler and less detailed but still well-crafted. The woodwork in Järvsö is the most old-fashioned, with powerful symmetrically-profiled door-cases that were common well into the 1800s.

The Hälsingland farmhouses are known for their beautifully designed porches. A person with a trained eye can tell what village they’re in just by looking at the porch. The most old-fashioned are found in Bjuråker, the biggest in Alfta, and none at all in Forsa – there are beautifully carved doors and frames there instead. Common to them all is the strong local traditions and the skilfulness showcased in the handicrafts.

The craftsmen

Many of those who created the decorations in the Hälsingland farmhouses were part of the rural middle class –utanvidsfolket, or “people outside of town” – or just wandering men.

Several villages had their own skilled woodworker who would leave their mark on the buildings and furnishings.
In Forsa, Jonas Lust and Jöns Månsson – who manufactured things such as beautifully carved outer doors – can be mentioned.

In Alfta, Olof Brunk and Pehr Tulpan, whose projects included the pulpit in the church at Alfta, were active. Most craftsmen, however, remain anonymous.