The oldest standing home in Lindsborg has new life that now beckons to visitors to step into the past while enjoying a stay in the present at Stenhuset (see video above).
The eighteen-month-long journey to restore and remodel the house on the corner of South Washington and Grant began with the vision of Jim Prugh, owner of Lindsborg Vacation Rentals. “I knew it had a lot of history that needed to be brought back in some shape or form,” he said. Prugh and restoration specialist Brian Freeman teamed up in the spring of 2018 to begin polishing the sandstone gem that had been hidden under years of stucco and paint.
A backyard retreat features a patio with pergola made from beams from the castle restoration project on Coronado Heights.
According to Freeman, the house was built in 1877 by a stonemason named John Elmquist, who also led construction of the Freemount Lutheran Church located west of Lindsborg. Both structures boast the native brown Dakota sandstone that was cut from the buttes rising above the Smoky Valley.
Beautiful light fills the home, which has three bedrooms, three baths and accommodations for six.
Downstairs bedroom with headroom and beautiful woodwork
Long known to local residents as the “Scripture house,” the structure’s signature Bible verses carved in Swedish over the doors and windows reflect the strong faith of Mr. Elmquist and the growing immigrant community in the late 1800s.
By the numbers: 4,000 pounds of steel, 500 linear feet of new conduit, 1/2 mile of new flex piping, 10 original windows restored with 7 more added, about 20,000—25,000 man hours have been poured into the project.
Now the 142-year-old home is ready for its next chapter in Lindsborg; not only as a restful space, but an inspirational launch pad for visitors to enjoy all that Little Sweden has to offer. You can visit Lindsborg Vacation Rentals online to see this and several other unique vacation rentals in Lindsborg owned by Prugh, or call 855-872-3487.
Original plaster and stencil
Up the stairs and into the loft to find another bedroom and bath
A hidden refrigerator in the kitchen
A 2019 painting by Fannie Olsen graces the front room
Two-doored ‘outhouse’ stores HVAC
Copper drainpipes take rain away in a most beautiful way
Bible verse, John 3:16, carved in Swedish on the stone lintel over the front door
Owners Jim Prugh and his wife Diane Fatheree who reside in Colorado were on hand for the open house with smiles and answers for the curious.
A perfect fall day for visitors to drop by for an open house at Stenhuset
Visit Lindsborg Vacation Rentals online to see Stenhuset and four other unique vacation rentals in Lindsborg, or call 855-872-3487.
Interested in seeing early reconstruction of the stone house? See our video interview, Cornerstone, with restoration expert Brian Freeman.