This little red house whispers tales of centuries past. This is Dragontorpet in Abrahamsberg. One of the last remaining soldier’s farmsteads in Bromma it stands proudly. Imagine the lives lived within these walls. Dragontorpet likely dates back to the early 1700s. It served as home to the soldiers who protected this area. Bromma maintained four dragoons. They were supported by the estates of Bällsta Ranhammar and Ulvsunda. Dragontorpet was unique. It was one of only ten surviving farmsteads out of 103 in Bromma. Many were remodeled over the years. This one remains a testament to the past.
Dragontorpet’s location is key to its history. It sits at the crossroads of Abrahamsbergsvägen and Gustav III’s väg. Originally it was near Drottningholmsvägen. Gustav III’s väg opened August 19 1787. It facilitated travel between Stockholm Castle and Drottningholm Castle. The route passed right by Dragontorpet. The farm was also known as Nora Dragontorp. The farmer likely cultivated potatoes and grains. He may have owned cows pigs chickens and a horse. Clearing the surrounding forest provided pasture and feed for his animals. Being a dragoon afforded higher status than other local farmers.
The history of Dragontorpet unfolds through various residents. Records show its connection to Ulvsunda Castle. Initially it fell under Ranhammars estate. It was probably relocated to Abrahamsberg in the early 1700s. Possibly from Ranhammar or Linta. Maps from 1829 onwards show Dragontorpet. Household records mention it from 1779 onwards. In 1824 Lars Gustaf Stark and his wife Kristina Margareta Mellberg lived there. By 1843 Rolf Eric and Christina Fröling were its residents.
Around the mid-1850s the farm got its current name. This was when Gustaf Abraham Pihl lived there. He remained until 1885. Pihl built a white brick house nearby in 1889. He named it Abrahamsberg. The area then took on the same name. Frans Krieg the last conscripted soldier of Bromma followed Pihl. He arrived in 1885. He was just 18 when he joined the Life Regiment of Dragoons. He reached the highest rank of distinction corporal before the conscription system ended in 1902.
Frans Krieg’s son Sixten inherited Dragontorpet in 1916. He continued his father’s garbage collection business. The rubbish dump was near the present-day intersection of Tunnlandsvägen and Fredrikslundsvägen in Åkeslund. The farm expanded with a pigsty for 200 pigs. During the 1930s development of Abrahamsberg stables barns pigpens and garages were demolished. Dragontorpet remains a poignant reminder. It reminds us of a simpler way of life. It speaks to the resilience of a small farm. It represents a remarkable piece of Stockholm’s past.