Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County

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Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County
Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County-logo.jpg
Moorhead Hjemkomst Center IMG 0660.JPG
Entrance
Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County
Established1932 (1932)
Location202 1st Ave N, Moorhead, Minnesota, 56560 United States
Coordinates 46°52′40″N96°46′43″W / 46.877778°N 96.778611°W / 46.877778; -96.778611
TypeLocal history
Executive directorMaureen Kelly Jonason
Website hcscconline.org

The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County is a local history museum located in Moorhead, Minnesota and exists to collect, preserve, interpret, and share the history and culture of Clay County, Minnesota. The organization directs the museum and archives at the Hjemkomst Center and provides tours of Moorhead's Hjemkomst Viking Ship and Moorhead Stave Church.

Contents

History

The organization formed in 1932 as the Clay County Historical Society. They adopted the current name in 2009 when the organization merged with the Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center. [1]

Hjemkomst Center

The Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center, commonly known as the Hjemkomst Center, opened its doors in 1985. The building features a distinctive ship sail roof design. Its primary purpose centered on showcasing the Hjemkomst Viking Ship and its historic voyage. Over time, the center expanded its focus to encompass broader aspects of Clay County's history and culture. [2]

A significant milestone occurred in 2009 when the Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center merged with the Clay County Historical Society, forming the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County. This merger expanded the center's role in preserving and interpreting the region's history. The Center houses the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County administration and collections. [1] [3]

Hjemkomst Viking Ship

The Hjemkomst Viking Ship stands as a replica of the Gokstad burial ship. Local resident Robert Asp conceived the idea to build and sail a Viking ship to Norway. The ship's journey serves as the subject of an award-winning documentary. [3]

Construction of the Hjemkomst began in 1974 and spanned several years. The ship's maiden voyage took place in 1980, though Asp died before realizing his dream of sailing to Norway. His family and friends continued his vision, and in 1982, the Hjemkomst successfully completed its transatlantic journey. [3] [4]

Moorhead Stave Church

The Moorhead Stave Church stands as a full-scale replica of the Hopperstad Stave Church located in Vik, Norway. Built between 1996 and 2001, the replica serves as a testament to Norwegian heritage and culture in the Midwest. [5]

Guy Paulson, a retired researcher from North Dakota State University, spearheaded the construction project. The church features intricate carvings and architectural details, replicating the original Norwegian structure. It stands at 72 feet tall with 18 staves, each measuring 27 feet in height. [5]

The Moorhead Stave Church functions as a community resource, hosting weddings, cultural events, and educational programs. [5]

Bergquist Cabin and Comstock House

The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County preserves the Bergquist Cabin and Comstock House as historical structures. The society utilizes these sites for educational and interpretive purposes.

Bergquist Cabin

John Bergquist Cabin John Bergquist Cabin.jpg
John Bergquist Cabin

John Gustav Bergquist, among the earliest settlers in Moorhead, constructed the cabin in the late 1800s. The house remains on its original frontier location and stands as the oldest house in Moorhead. Dewey Bergquist, John Bergquist's grandson, repurchased his grandfather's home in 1978. A longtime local television weatherman, Bergquist restored the cabin to its 1870s condition. In 1989, Bergquist donated the cabin to the Clay County Historical Society for preservation. The home holds a place on the National Register of Historic Places. [6]

Comstock House

Solomon Comstock constructed the Comstock House between 1882 and 1883 in a blend of Queen Anne and Eastlake styles. A prominent figure in Moorhead's early development, Comstock held influential roles in business, politics, and civic affairs. The Minnesota Historical Society and the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County jointly manage the house. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. [7] [8]

Exhibits and Programming

The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County presents a range of exhibits focusing on local, regional, and national history. The organization offers educational programs, tours, and events throughout the year. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clay County, Minnesota</span> County in Minnesota, United States

Clay County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,318. Its county seat is Moorhead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moorhead, Minnesota</span> City in Minnesota, United States

Moorhead is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Minnesota, United States, on the banks of the Red River of the North. Located in the Red River Valley, an extremely fertile and active agricultural region, Moorhead is also home to several corporations and manufacturing industries. Across the river from Fargo, North Dakota, Moorhead helps form the core of the Fargo–Moorhead ND-MN Metropolitan Area. The population was 44,505 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gol, Norway</span> Municipality in Buskerud, Norway

Gol is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hallingdal. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Gol which is also the population center. Gol was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. The area of Hemsedal was separated from Gol in 1897 to become a separate municipality. The municipality of Gol is bordered to the north by the municipality of Nord-Aurdal, to the east by Sør-Aurdal, to the south by Nes, and to the west by Ål and Hemsedal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vik, Sogn</span> Municipality in Vestland, Norway

Vik is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located on the southern shore of the Sognefjorden in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center of Vik is the village of Vikøyri. Other villages in the municipality include Feios, Fresvik, Nese, and Vangsnes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stave church</span> Wooden Christian church building

A stave church is a medieval wooden Christian church building once common in north-western Europe. The name derives from the building's structure of post and lintel construction, a type of timber framing where the load-bearing ore-pine posts are called stafr in Old Norse. Two related church building types also named for their structural elements, the post church and palisade church, are often called 'stave churches'.

Gokstad ship 9th-century Viking ship

The Gokstad ship is a 9th-century Viking ship found in a burial mound at Gokstad in Sandar, Sandefjord, Vestfold, Norway. It is displayed at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway. It is the largest preserved Viking ship in Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Historical Society</span> State historical society of Minnesota

The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is a nonprofit educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the territorial legislature in 1849, almost a decade before statehood. The Society is named in the Minnesota Constitution. It is headquartered in the Minnesota History Center in downtown Saint Paul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hopperstad Stave Church</span> Church in Vestland, Norway

Hopperstad Stave Church is a historic parish church of the Church of Norway in the village of Vikøyri in Vik Municipality in Vestland county. It was historically the church for the Hopperstad parish in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The church is currently owned by the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments. The brown, wooden stave church was built during the 12th century. The church seats about 30 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hjemkomst Center</span> Ethnographic museum in Minnesota, United States

The Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center, commonly known as the Hjemkomst Center, is a museum in Moorhead, Minnesota. Hjemkomst Center first opened in 1985 and serves as a home to Hjemkomst Viking Ship, Hopperstad Stave Church replica, quarterly museum exhibits, and county archives. In 2009, the Clay County Historical Society and the Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center merged to form the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gol Stave Church</span> Church in Oslo, Norway

Gol Stave Church is a 12th century stave church originally from Gol in the traditional region of Hallingdal in Buskerud county, Norway. The reconstructed church is now a museum and is now located in the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History at Bygdøy in Oslo, Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haltdalen Stave Church</span>

Haltdalen Stave Church is a stave church that was originally built in the 1170s in the village of Haltdalen in what is now the municipality of Holtålen in Trøndelag county, Norway. The church is now on display at the Sverresborg Trøndelag Folkemuseum in the city of Trondheim. This is a single-nave stave church of the east Scandinavian-style, and it is the only one that is preserved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solomon Comstock</span> American politician

Solomon Gilman Comstock was an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Minnesota's 5th congressional district from 1889 to 1891.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viking ship replica</span>

Viking ship replicas are one of the more common types of ship replica. Viking, the first Viking ship replica, was built by the Rødsverven shipyard in Sandefjord, Norway. In 1893 it sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to Chicago in the United States for the World's Columbian Exposition. Formerly located in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois, the Viking is currently undergoing conservation in Geneva, Illinois, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Clay County, Minnesota</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Clay County, Minnesota. It is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Clay County, Minnesota, United States. The locations of National Register properties and districts for which the latitude and longitude coordinates are included below, may be seen in an online map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comstock House</span> Historic house in Minnesota, United States

The Comstock House is a historic house museum in Moorhead, Minnesota, United States. It was built for Solomon Comstock and his family from 1882 to 1883 in a mix of Queen Anne and Eastlake style. Comstock (1842–1933) was one of Moorhead's first settlers and an influential figure in business, politics, civics, and education in the growing city and state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hove Church</span> Church in Vestland, Norway

Hove Church is a historic parish church of the Church of Norway in Vik Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Vikøyri on the Arnafjord, an arm of the Sognefjord. It was historically the main church for Hove parish in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The gray, stone church was built in a long church design in a Romanesque style around the year 1170 using plans drawn up by unknown architect. Since about 2016 the church has been the base for the Hove Church Music Festival run by local cultural personality, Jens Brekke, and an American early music chamber choir. The church seats about 35 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vik Church</span> Church in Vestland, Norway

Vik Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Vik Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Vikøyri. It is the church for the Vik parish which is part of the Sogn prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in a long church design in 1877 using plans drawn up by the architect Haakon Thorsen. The church seats about 450 people.

Robert Louis Asp was an American educator from Minnesota. He is known principally for his involvement building the replica ship Hjemkomst which sailed from Duluth, Minnesota to Bergen, Norway in 1982.

References

  1. 1 2 "Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County - Hjemkomst Center". www.fargomoorhead.org. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  2. "A visit to Moorhead's Hjemkomst Center well worth it". Perham Focus. 2019-11-03. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  3. 1 2 3 "A new look a[sic] the Hjemkomst" . Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  4. "Hjemkomst stows its damaged sails". InForum. 2006-07-20. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  5. 1 2 3 "Hopperstad Stave Church Replica, Moorhead | MNopedia". www.mnopedia.org. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  6. "Bergquist spent nights in Moorhead's oldest home built by ancestor". InForum. 2022-11-04. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  7. Van Brocklin, Lynne; Charles W. Nelson (1974-07-30). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Comstock, Solomon Gilman, House". National Park Service. Retrieved 2024-07-23.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. "Comstock House". mnhs.org. Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  9. "HCSCC Events". Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County. Retrieved 2024-07-23.

See also