“Then You’ll Have a Fine House…”: The New Frame House of Norwegian Immigrants Anna and Hans Goulson, Swift County, Minnesota

Abstract

Building on an earlier investigation to examine the dugout house site of the Lars and Anna Christopherson and later Hans and Anna Christopherson Goulson families, the present study of the Goulson’s frame house grew out of interest by current family members in preserving the structure and teaching their history to the next generation. Anna, her second husband Hans Goulson, and their children moved from their traditional dugout house into their new one-and-a-half-story frame house in 1880 or 1881. The small balloon frame house retains an amazing Norwegian-inspired interior paint scheme The family occupied the structure until the late 19th century, when they built and moved into a larger farmhouse on adjacent property in Chippewa County. The circa 1880 frame house was subsequently used for storing grain and later farming equipment. The current project involves an architectural study and stabilization effort along with an archaeological survey of the immediate vicinity of the house; this work was completed with the help of Goulson family members and friends from across the country. The purpose of the project was to document, stabilize and weatherproof the ca. 1880 Goulson frame house and develop preservation strategies for long term use.