Iisalmi Parsonage, Helsinki

The Iisalmi Parsonage is a wonderful example of clergy style housing from the late 1700s. It was built in 1797 by the master builder Simon Silven. It was a big house for its day, having six rooms, a kitchen and a hall entrance to the home.

The floor plan of this historic home was taken from a book written by Carl Wijnblad in 1755. The house pretty much stayed unchanged until the 19th Century, when wings were added to each end of the house. The only part of the building, however, that was brought to Seurasaari was the mansard roofed part of the house from the 1700s. This move was made in 1960.

The rest of the museum was opened to the public in 1984, when it celebrated its 75th Anniversary. The displays talk about the various vicars that lived here over the years. The drawing room has furniture from the 1800s. The bishop’s room and dining room are shown with slightly newer furniture from the mid 1800s. The remaining office display was done to show what the place was like during the years of Vicar J.L. Lagus and T.H. Brofeldt.