“Almost the most beautiful on the entire Bällsta Estate”. That’s what Jonas Arnell said in 1781. He wanted Melchior Eichhorn to build a manor house. Welcome to Mariehälls gård. This blue-marked building holds stories within its walls. Stories of tanners, widows and secret naval connections.
Mariehälls gård stands in Bromma. It is near Bällsta bro. The City Museum of Stockholm has blue-marked it. This means it has very high cultural-historical value.
Let’s step back to 1790. Maria Elisabeth Wetterberg lived here then. She was the widow of Melchior Eichhorn. Melchior was a wealthy tanner. He had a business on Kungsholmen. He made chamois leather and traded in morocco leather.
Before his death Melchior bought Brostugan in 1781. Arnell hoped Eichhorn would replace the old building. He wanted a proper manor. Melchior started building two wings. Sadly he died before the main house was done.
His widow Maria and son Christoffer finished it. The main building has touches of neoclassicism. Gösta Selling called the fronton “original”. He said it reminded him of a baroque altar. The portico is wood not stone. It features Tuscan columns. These support a semi-circular over structure.
The over structure has a vaulted room. People think this resembles a ship’s stern. Some say Fredrik Henrik af Chapman designed Mariehälls gård. He was an admiral and shipbuilder. However the architect is unknown.
Axel Ture Gabriel Oxenstierna owned Mariehälls gård later. He was a chamberlain. He used it as a summer residence. He added the veranda facing the water. That was between 1863 and 1875.
Mariehälls gård has changed hands many times. It began as a croft under Bällsta gård. Jonas Arnell owned it until 1778. Then his nephew Lars Arnell took over. Melchior Eichhorn owned it from 1781 to 1787. After Melchior’s death his son and widow owned the farm from 1787 to 1792. They had to sell it because their leather business declined.
Erik Isberg bought Mariehälls gård in 1792. He expanded the land. Maria Dimander bought the farm in 1800. Peter Lundgren Johansson purchased it in 1810. He ran a sugar mill near Sergels torg. Johan Jacob Burman bought it in 1816. Unlike earlier owners he lived here year-round.
In 1892 Mariehälls gård became a home for children with epilepsy. It was called “Föreningen för vård av fallandesjuka, sinnesslöa barn”. Queen Sofia and Prince Carl attended the opening. The home soon became too small. In 1902 it moved to Åkeshovs herrgård.
Anders Petter Löfström owned Mariehälls gård from 1878 to 1884. His family kept it until 1916. Löfström founded Sundbyberg. He also ran Mariehälls Tegelbruk a brick factory. D Forsell a furrier lived at Mariehäll for three years. He started a hat factory in 1885. It was Bromma’s biggest company then.
In the 20th century the Gustafsson brothers owned the farm. They converted it into apartments. They removed many old interior details. In 1987 BK Beräkningskonsulter AB saved Mariehälls gård from demolition. They restored it to its original exterior by 1990.
Since 2010 Mariehälls gård has been apartments. The main building has six. The two wings are separate residences.
Today Mariehälls gård stands as a testament to time. It is a reminder of the people who shaped it. From tanners to industrialists each owner left their mark. Its walls could tell countless stories if they could speak. Take a moment to appreciate its beauty and history. It is a true gem of Bromma.