“A manor house? Here?” you might ask yourself. Yes indeed. Welcome to Karlshälls gård. This charming manor sits unexpectedly on Långholmen island in Stockholm. Since 1989, Karlshälls gård has served as a restaurant, a banquet hall, and a conference center. But its story begins long before that.
Let’s step back to the 1830s. Carl Modéer, the construction manager for Långholmen prison, wanted a comfortable home. He built Karlshäll in 1837 and 1838. Modéer was familiar with the latest building techniques. He used an unusual outer wall construction. It mixed lime, water, and sand into a light mortar. This mass was packed around the walls’ post frame. Coarser stones or straw provided filling. Once dried, the mold could be removed. This unique method was rare in the Stockholm area. The main building has two floors. A lantern crowned by a weather vane displays the year 1838.
A renovation in 1985 revealed this unusual wall construction. No original blueprints survived. However, an old fire insurance document mentioned a “cast lime mortar house with a wooden frame.” Research uncovered a book from 1834. Carl Gustaf Rydin wrote it. The book was titled “Cast Lime Mortar Houses, a New Building Method.” Rydin detailed the process with drawings and cost estimates. The dried construction was as hard as stone.
After Modéer’s death in 1842, his widow kept the estate for ten years. Several owners followed. In 1876, Lars Olsson Smith, the famous distiller, bought it. Smith owned a liquor factory on Reimersholme. Karlshäll was perfect as a summer residence. Smith expanded the property. He added gardens, a bowling alley, stables and servants’ quarters. He also added a music and billiard room. Architect Magnus Isæus designed the addition. Known as Brännvinskungens Sal it was built in 1877. It reflected old Norse ideals like a basilica. Isæus also designed Grindstugan. This small gatekeeper’s cottage stood by the new gate. Smith’s garden became Stockholm’s most beautiful.
In the early 1900s, Karlshäll became a private care facility. It housed “easily managed mentally ill” patients. Stockholm acquired the property in 1940. From 1940 to 1947, Karlshäll served as a branch of Sach’s Children’s Hospital. It housed Finnish war children. In the early 1950s, the city converted the estate into a treatment center. This home remained until 1977. The main building and wings underwent extensive renovation in the mid-1980s.
In the early 1980s, the non-profit Karlshälls Gård association formed. The building was renovated. A restaurant opened in 1989. It offered banquet and conference facilities. The banquet hall still features French wallpaper. The wallpaper depicts Turkish landscapes. Smith bought it for his daughter Mary. She married Prince Jean Karadja. He was Turkey’s envoy to Stockholm.
Remnants of Smith’s elaborate garden still exist. They include wild herbs, shrubs, and trees. The garden is now one of the inner city’s richest sites for this flora. Today, Karlshälls Gård continues its legacy. It offers a unique setting for celebrations and gatherings. Its history echoes through its walls and gardens.