Skogsoy Farmhouse
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The farmhouse is a historic house in the area built in 1895. It was built by my ancestors who settled the area. It is the house where the founder of the area, my great-great-grandfather, Peder Per Rasmussen died in 1903. It is the house where my great-grandmother and great-grandfather raised their 10 children. It is the house where my grandfather Thorne Pedersen grew up and wrote about in his autobiography The Hardships of Life, The Pleasure of Living which can be found in the museum in Mandal. The farmhouse restoration performed by Lill Tony Larsen Ramvik and the Larsen family was to restore the house to such a condition and quality that it should last and be lived in for another 100 years, with out need for any major repairs. Our family's instructions were that "Special care must be taken to maintain and restore the old style and charm of the farmhouse in all cases."
In 2006 I painted several coats of green paint on the entry way table top and drawer to match the pale green walls. Above the entry table I hung the family tree I created of my ancestors who settled the area of Southern Norway . When I visited in 2007 I put my own brand new sheepskin lined leather mules next to Eugenie's sheepskin slippers by the front door. The light fixture I painted and rewired is visible in the living room.
Obviously the floorboards had been replaced before with a straight cut on the edge away from the door. Inspecting from underneath the floor, the very flimsy construction used to support the cut looks like it will soon fall away, as will the dry rotted ends of the floor boards hidden under the door sill. The farmhouse restoration contract required that all rotted wood be restored and structures rebuilt as if to last another 100 years. I won't be surprised if the rotted floor and flimsy contruction underneath it will give away long before that time.... as someone walking through the front door falls into the basement below.
I brought picture frames for all of our ancestors pictures to hang on the living room wall. Lill Tony Ramvik Larsen is sitting on some used furniture her mother got at an auction. In Lill Tony Ramvik Larsen's house in Mandal is one of the original antique sofas, beds, and 6 level high style antique Norwegian woodstoves from my family's house which she said she was keeping safe from being ruined. Lill Tony Larsen Ramvik needs to return the woodstove, furniture, and furnishings she has taken from my families house. Lill Tony Larsen Ramvik had been entrusted by my father and uncle with the keys to the house, but by the time my father died in 2001 the entire house had been ransacked of several generations of household goods and only an old metal bed and a few old tables remained. Many neighbors have been safe-keeping the furniture taken from the house. Now that the famhouse is restored it would be nice to see all the furniture and furnishings returned to where they belong... to preserve and restore this piece of local history. I think it should be preserved. It is a vital part of the communities history.
I removed the light fixture, repaired the wiring, and light sockets. I painted the light fixture, mount, and light bulb holders in old traditional Norwegian colors, and highlighted the features with handpainted designs and patterns in gold . Originally it looked like an American old west style wagon wheel light that Uncle Ted and Grandpa hung up. I replaced all the light bulbs with decorative bulbs, and paid a neighbor to help me rehang the heavy light fixture... ready for many more years of service.
In the olden times the inside back steps allowed access to the large brick chimney ovens and hearth, root cellars, and water well in the basement below. The large brick mass of the chimney up through the middle of the house afforded steady warmth through the heat mass.
In 2006 I painted several coats of paint on the bench to match the table in the breakfast room. When I returned in 2007 the breakfast room was trashed with white paint painting supplies, and white paint cans and brushes were on the bench and floor and on the table with new housewarming tablecloth gift from Mama.
The breakfast room window sill was starting to crack and split from the sill. The window sill should have been wide enough to overlap the trim below. The window frame is nicked and damaged. This should be a brand new window frame. A painting light is visible on top of the beautiful housewarming tablecloth gift from Mama.
In March of 2007 the front living room window trim had already cracked and separated from the sill. The window sill should have been large enough to overlap the trim below. The house was infested with bugs and dead bugs. An electronic bug killer had been hastily plugged in the living room to help kill the many bugs.
The left living room window sill was starting to crack and split from the sill. The window sill should have been wide enough to overlap the trim below.
The right living room window sill was starting to crack and split away from the sill. The window sill should have been wide enough to overlap the trim below. More dead bugs.
The left family room window sill was starting to crack and split from the sill. The window sill should have been wide enough to overlap the trim below. More dead bugs.
The right family room window sill was starting to crack and split from the sill. The window sill should have been wide enough to overlap the trim below. More dead bugs.
In March 2007, the downstairs back bedroom window sill is starting to crack and split from the sill. The window sill should have been wide enough to overlap the trim below. I brought and installed a beautiful wrought iron lantern with swinging etched glass hanging candle holder for this back bedroom, a gift from a date in Canada. When lit it plays beautiful shadow patterns on the walls. I hung expanding wood hooks on the back of the bedroom door, and a brand new pink robe I brought from the US. In 2007 I brought 4 expanding wooden racks of clothes peg hooks for the bedrooms and for hanging towels in bathroom. I brought 2 brand new beach towels. I also brought all the tools needed for regular around the house maintenance tool kit... assortments of brand new straight slotted and phillips head screwdrivers, regular pliers, needlenose pliers, wirecutters with wire stripper, and channel lock pliers, fasteners, hammers, picture hangers, nails, and screws. (It cost $400 extra in luggage fees to fly it all plus a half gallon of Canadian whiskey from Amsterdam to Norway.)
The white bed and white night tables are used furniture formerly belonging to Lill Tony Larsen Ramvik's brother Birger Larsen. It is nice that Birger has donated some furniture to the house, but it is not the same as the orginal furniture being returned to the house. The old table that I repainted blue in 2006 is visible in the background.
The table I painted blue is also visible in this picture. It matches the curtains. This was the main bedroom where the children slept near the warm brick chimney. Ole Petter and Anna Andrea Pedersen's 10 children were born, raised, and grew up in this house. The chimney was not to have been destroyed and removed during the restoration. Lill Tony Larsen Ramvik was to save the chimney and keep the chimney intact. It is awful that the chimney was destroyed and removed. I do not and did not agree to it. Lill Tony Larsen Ramvik and her family were to provide their labor in trade for Even and Lill Tony to have a cottage site in Smabakkan. Lill Tony Larsen Ramvik has not been authorized to take any deeds for a cottage site for herself in Smabakkan until all the work has been completed and approved by me, and all the funds taken from the farmhouse bank account have been accounted for. I have yet to see the receipts, bank statements, or an accounting of funds taken and removed from my families farmhouse bank account by Lill Tony Larsen Ramvik for the farmhouse restoration. The restoration was to be completed in 2006.
That all these window sills are splitting and cracking, less than 4 months after the restoration project was to be completed in unacceptable. That the floor insulation was partially torn down and none was replaced is unacceptable. That the plumbing and septic lines that Birger Larsen installed and roughed in the bathroom are too close to the corners and wall to install plumbing fixtures is unacceptable. I do not and did not approve the work and expenses.
"The roof shall be replaced with new tiles rated for 50 years or longer." That the roof tiles did not last through the first winter is unnacceptable. The plastic gutters are horrible and unacceptable. I did not and do not approve. That my family should be fined and penalized for the poor execution of the restoration is tragic and unacceptable. That my family was denied a permit to restore the barn because of the poor quality restoration of the house is unacceptable. The situation must be remedied and completed before Lill Tony Larsen Ramvik takes any land in Smabakkan. |
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In the entryway inside the new double old-style doorway is a new specially made threshold sill board that apparently cost quite a bit extra to make. However this specially made threshold sill board does not quite hide all the rotten floor boards under the sill. 
Lill Tony Larsen Ramvik visiting in the living room with the newly painted light fixture that I painted and decored with gold paint. 
The sunny new breakfast room was added to the house where the old porch and back steps to the basement used to be. 
The upstairs front bedroom living room window sill is starting to crack and split. The window sill should have been wide enough to overlap the trim below.
Upstairs front bedroom has a new very large crawlspace storage compartment under the eaves losing much space in the room. The original crawlspace was much smaller. The crawlspace should be restored to what it was, so that the bedroom can be restored to the size that it was originally. 
The upstairs left back bedroom window sill has started to crack and split. The window sill should have been wide enough to overlap the trim below. The paint job is supposed to last another 100 years... it did not last 4 months!
The upstair back center bedroom window sill had been starting to crack and split. Water damage is visible. The window sill should have been wide enough to overlap the trim below. 