Architecture through the ages

In the 1980s, architect Tore Tallqvist, now professor emeritus in architectural history, carried out a survey of the buildings in the Old Town as the basis for a town conservation plan. The documentation was mainly based on observations in the area and on information obtained from old fire insurance letters. The text "The Old Town in Ekenäs: advice and guidelines for building maintenance" was distributed to properties in the Old Town. The different style periods of the buildings were described, followed by concrete advice for their maintenance and renovations.

The following texts about the building styles over the years are taken from Tallqvist's writings.

The Old Town 1546 - 1750

Fishing and port activities

A distinctive and characteristic feature of the Old Town is its location on a promontory on the outermost tip of a huge sandy slope that descends towards the Bay of Pojo. On this cape there was probably already in the Middle Ages a fishing village with small log cabins. This location was hired as a port site for vessels from Tallinn and other locations. The town grew south and west of the square and the church. In 1546, Ekenäs received city privileges from Gustav Vasa.

Twenty-five years after the town’s founding in 1546, the number of taxpayers was no more than fourteen, but that was thirteen more than the number of horses. Eleven decades later, a decisive event occurred for the city when Ekenäs came under the auspices of the county of Raseborg. As a place of residence, however, it maintained a fairly modest existence. Above the town’s panorama rose a simple wooden church with a tarred roof, and the exterior appearance of the town reflected a general poverty. The oldest settlement consisted of small log houses.

The Old Town 1750 - 1820

Cadastral plans of the peasantry

In 1750, Ekenäs, with its 500 inhabitants, was an unassuming agricultural town. In addition to trade, crafts, and shipping, the city's residents devoted themselves to agriculture, livestock management and fishing. Most households had their own hop garden and farmhouse, and perhaps a field, and a boathouse on the beach. The common building law was still applied freely in urban areas. Residential buildings were usually single or double cottages with or without front rooms. Buildings often bordered on the street. The plots were surrounded by courtyards and lacked fences or gates. All this was intended to give the city an idyllic and rural feel.

Expanded trade and shipping

In the mid-18th century, Ekenäs city consisted of 99 developed plots with 114 households. Sea trade with Stockholm was an important source of income for the town. At this time, the mayor's office was established, and in 1752 the city elected its first mayor. From then on, residents were encouraged to build in a neater and more methodical fashion. Industries began to develop and the pace of building increased towards the end of the century. The city's business sector experienced an upswing as a result of expanded shipping. Both shipping companies and shipyards emerged, and some bold entrepreneurs increased the city's influence and importance until shortly after the turn of the century. In 1820, 1200 people lived in Ekenäs.

The Old Town 1820 - 1850

The Ekenäs fire in 1821

In 1821, the Old Town was hit by a devastating fire. The church and thirteen blocks in its vicinity burned down. After this disaster, new precautions were taken. The state authorities urged Ekenäs to regulate the street network in the Old Town to make the buildings more fireproof. A city plan was drawn up, which, however, proved to be far too radical and unrealistic. The town plan came to be followed only on the burned area in the immediate vicinity of the church. After the fire, Stora Kyrkogatan was widened, and, by the middle of the century, had its present width and design. Lilla Kyrkogatan was also broadened after the fire. Two-storey wooden houses disappeared from the streets, and it became more and more common to erect separate bakery cabins in the farms where the dangerous baking oven was housed.

The Old Town 1850 - 1885

Further development

The mid-19th century meant major changes for Ekenäs. The system of town guilds ended in 1868 and freedom of trade was introduced. The first industries were established in Ekenäs. At the end of the 19th century, a brewery was founded, which is partly preserved behind the tennis courts. With the exception of the years of famine in the 1860s, the period after 1850 was characterized by diverse and lively activities in many areas, marks of which can be seen in the Old Town.

After the middle of the century, the old town also got many of its open spaces. In 1860 the courtyard and stone wall around the church were constructed. In 1863 Basatorget was created, and in 1871 Fisktorget received a timely renovation. By 1880, the park behind the church had been enlarged to its present size.

The Old Town 1885 - 1905

Changing times

Around the turn of the century, Ekenäs developed into a small industrial town. From the mid-1880s to 1905, the city's population increased by 60 percent. Social development also changed the Old Town. It became more common to set up shops in old houses and divide larger homes to accommodate more tenants.

The dominant building style at the turn of the century was neo-Renaissance. Characteristic of the buildings were, among other things, machine-planed timber, the three-part T-window and the deep eaves that separated the drains from the body of the house. Roofs and chimneys were covered with sheet metal.

The Old Town 1905 - 1920

Modern Times

The rapid development of society continued in Ekenäs until the years before the First World War. Industry grew and by 1915 the population had risen to 3250 people.

Around 1905, the Neo-Renaissance style of architecture gradually changed to the Art Nouveau style, which became the dominant building style until the First World War. A common feature of buildings from this time is the T-window with the upper resting window arch divided into small squares.

The Old Town 1920 -1955

Interest in building maintenance in the 20^th century

After the First World War, the new construction business in the Old Town was more or less at a standstill. Inside courtyards were constructed along with outbuildings that are still recognizable today because of the typical gray cement tiles. At the same time as Ekenäs had grown into a small industrial town, the properties of the pre-industrial city, which were mainly preserved in the Old Town, had increasingly begun to be appreciated. Requirements to preserve the old environment were formulated, but the emphasis was on encouraging the acceptance of principles of preservation. Individual property owners began to set a good example and renovate old farms in the Old Town. At the same time, however, a change was approaching that posed a threat to building traditions and maintenance.

Changes in the Thirties

The decisive change occurred in the early 1930s, when the municipal water pipeline was expanded in Ekenäs. The typical housing features in old residences eventually disappeared when modern kitchens, bathrooms and toilets began to be installed. If a new building was built, the yard was no longer the natural starting point for planning. The Old Town’s organic and hierarchical structure was seriously threatened. The optimism of 1930s development blended poorly with careful building preservation. New buildings were allowed to contrast sharply with their surroundings. One standing monument from the 1930s is "The Castle" (Linvävaregatan 10) which, when placed on its site, spoiled the atmosphere of Barckens cape.

The Old Town in the 40s and 50s

After the war, new buildings were designed as detached houses (e.g. Sjöformansgatan 4, Södra Strandgatan 1 B), and unnecessary demolition was allowed to continue. Stora Kyrkogatan's streetscape was altered in the early 1950s when large storefronts were opened in old timber buildings. At the same time, however, people began to realize that the old town's future was seriously threatened. The 400th Anniversary of Ekenäs, C.J. Gardbergs and T. Lindqvist's inventories of old wooden houses, and the completion of the new city museum all contributed to practical initiatives for conservation purposes. In 1956, a conservation plan for the Old Town was approved. The goal was that historical considerations would guide future planning.

The Old Town 1955 - 1982

Sustainable development

In more recent decades, new structures have illustrated attempts to link construction to tradition. Instead of new buildings that contrast with the old, attempts have been made to plan the new construction so that these complement existing buildings. An early example is the new parsonage (Stora Kyrkogatan 10), which was built in 1956 and was planned in close collaboration with the Archaeological Commission (today the National Board of Antiquities). One of the most recently erected buildings in the Old Town is Motel Marine's quarter at Kammakaregatan 1. The motel is a fine example of a modern building in the Old Town, which at the same time was adapted to its environment.