Originally a humble cottage, Lerkrogen now stands as a testament to time. The story of Lerkrogen begins in Solberga in southern Stockholm. Since 1986, Brännkyrka hembygdsförening has taken care of the building. Hägerstens hembygdsförening uses part of the ground floor.
Lerkrogen started as a croft under Västberga gård. It was located near the poorhouse in the old church village. This was close to Brännkyrka Church. It stood about 200 meters west of the church. But road construction for Stockholmsmässan in 1968 changed everything. The old tavern building was taken apart. It was put back together in 1986 near Älvsjö station.
Let’s jump back in time. The year 1661 marks the first mention of Västberga croft. It was then known as “Lars på krogen”. The following year, it was called “Lillkrogen”. Its location by Göta landsväg made it ideal for a tavern. So, tavern operations began as early as the 1600s. A map from 1680 shows a tavern near Brännkyrka Church. From 1689 to 1719, the tavern was named Brännkyrka krog. Erik, Mats Jansson, and Jöran Persson were the tavern keepers.
The name Lerkrogen appeared in 1719. This was likely to contrast with Stenkrogen. Stenkrogen was another tavern on Västberga land. Lerkrogen was also known as Brännkyrkatorp. In 1788, it separated from Västberga gård. It became an agricultural property. Lerkrogen served as both a residence and an inn. In the early 1800s, renovations allowed for overnight guests. The building gained its present appearance during this time. Blind windows were added for symmetry.
Ownership of Lerkrogen changed often. There were even some unclear ownership situations. This led to several disputes. In 1901, the property returned to Västberga gård. People lived there until it was torn down in 1968.
Now, picture the Åbyvägen and Götalandsvägen viaduct construction in 1968. During this construction, workers dismantled Lerkrogen. They stored it under tarpaulins. Brännkyrka hembygdsförening took the initiative to rebuild Lerkrogen. They used some new materials. Lerkrogen was rebuilt in the Prästgårdstegen block. This is at Götalandsvägen 224 in Älvsjö center. The so-called Doktorsvillan or Villa Elfhem from 1904 was already on the same site. An architect’s office at Stockholms fastighetskontor recreated Lerkrogen’s drawings. The grand reopening happened on September 20, 1986. Stockholm City owns the property. Brännkyrka and Hägersten’s local heritage associations lease it. Today, Lerkrogsvägen reminds us of the old tavern. It marks the western border of Västberga industrial area.
Right next to Lerkrogen is Älvkvarnstenen. This is a cup stone with about 120 “älvkvarnar”. It was moved to Lerkrogen in October 1994. It originally came from Hästhagen west of Älvsjö gård. Lerkrogen stands as a tangible link to the past. It connects us to the stories of travelers and residents from centuries ago.