The History of the Buildings at Havnnes
A Walk Among the Buildings
During the forced evacuation of Northern Norway in the autumn of 1944, almost every house on Uløya was burned. The only exception was at Havnnes. When people returned in May 1945, they found a sign posted in German:
“Künstlerisch wertvoll, daher nicht zerstören!”
(“Artistically valuable – do not destroy!”)
It was scrawled in marker on a piece of cellulose board — a wartime substitute for cardboard. Thanks to that message, many of the old buildings were spared. Today, several are protected heritage sites.
But Havnnes’ story started long before the war.
In the early 1800s, the point of land where Jomfruburet and Bårstua now stand was crowded with small sheds and cabins. Later, under the leadership of Jens Severin Hallen, the area got a more organised layout. Concerned about fire risk, Hallen planned the placement of the buildings carefully — a decision that helped preserve them to this day.
Walking Through History
The buildings at Havnnes aren’t just relics — they’re part of a living story. Many are marked with numbers, allowing you to explore them at your own pace.
One detail to look out for: three of the buildings that mark the transition between the inntun (inner yard) and uttun (outer yard) are painted differently on each side. The inntun side is white — seen as more proper — while the uttun side is red, which was cheaper. That paint scheme has been kept as a nod to history.
Storbrygga/ Gammelbrygga (1)
The Storbygga was built in 1893 and served as a central part of the trading operations at Havnnes. Originally, the wharf featured hoisting wheels on both the east and south sides, though today only the eastern one remains. The building consists of three full floors in addition to an attic.
In earlier times, small boats could dock directly alongside the wharf, while the steamship pier was not constructed until around 1919. A general store (krambod) was set up at the western end of the building, and there are plans to convert this room into a small museum.
A fire insurance assessment from 1845 mentions a krambod with specific dimensions, though its exact location remains unknown.
Nybrygga (2)
The Nybrygga was originally located on the north side of the harbor but was torn down by a hurricane in February 1934. It was then rebuilt at its current location in connection with the expansion of the steamship pier. After the war, the building was extended westward.
For many years, the two lower floors served as a storage facility for the Norwegian Grain Corporation (Statens Kornforretning), while the third floor housed a net-making workshop (notbøteri). A former drying rack for fishing nets (nothjell) once stood adjacent to the southern side of the wharf, but it is no longer there.
Friis brygga (3)
This building was completed in 1987 and is named after Guttorm Friis (1908–1994), former office manager in Skjervøy Municipality and later chief administrative officer (rådmann) in Kongsberg. It was constructed as a stockfish warehouse and marks the beginning of Havnnes’ own export operations, which started in 1975. Prior to this, all fish had to be sold to exporters in other locations – primarily in Bergen.
The Friis Wharf is equipped with fans that are used to further dry the fish when necessary. The site previously housed a lumber storage facility in the years following World War II.
Hans Jacob Brygga (4)
Built in 1997 and named after Hans Jacob Lugg Giæver (1914–1997), this is a modern fish reception and processing facility. It replaced the old reception building and a post-war warehouse.
The building also includes freezer rooms for both raw materials and finished products, supporting efficient handling and storage in contemporary fish production.
Butikken (5)
The shop building was put into use in 1916, replacing the older store which was then converted into bank premises. The new building also housed the company’s offices, a post office, and a telephone station operated by the national telecom service (Televerket).
The attic was used to store archival materials from the company’s founding in 1867 up to World War I – records that survived the wartime evacuation of 1944/45, along with even older documents. In the 1950s, the second floor was used as an office by A/S Jøvik Sildolje- & Kraftfôr-fabrikk (a fish oil and animal feed company).
Banken (6)
In 1900, Thorvald Hoseth Giæver became treasurer of Skjervøy Sparebank, and the bank was relocated to Havnnes that same year. Giæver managed the bank for an impressive 55 years. Parts of the building date back to 1854 or earlier and were originally described as a “general store with an office.”
The bank began using the building in 1916, coinciding with the relocation of the store to a newly constructed building. The basement was used to store kerosene, lamp oil, and similar goods. At the western end, there was a carpentry workshop and staff accommodation, which remained in use until after World War II.
Today, the building has been converted into a holiday home.
Storgården (7)
Storgården was initiated in the 1850s by Jens Severin Hallen and completed after 1868, following the takeover of operations by Johannes Holmboe Giæver. The house replaced an older main building on the same site.
This spacious residence includes, on the first floor, four living rooms, a chamber, and a large kitchen. The second floor contains six bedrooms and an additional chamber, while the third floor was used for drying and caring for laundry.
Gammelgården
"Mor Lyng stua" (8)
This house is considered older than Storgården, though a fire insurance assessment from 1845 described it as a new building at the time. It was likely constructed to serve as the main residence while Storgården was being built.
During restoration work in 2006, old timber walls were uncovered, suggesting that the building may have been assembled using logs from two older structures.
Stabburet (9)
Built during the time of Jens S. Hallen, this traditional storehouse still carries a faint scent of cured hams in its walls. The stabbur bell was used to signal mealtimes and working hours on the farm – a practice that continued all the way up to the 1950s.
Messa (10)
The Messa was built in 1949, replacing the old Størhuset, which had included a large baking oven and a built-in iron cauldron used for cheese-making, meat boiling, and laundry. The second floor of the old building housed the workers’ quarters (drengestue).
After the war, the Messa served as housing for permanent employees brought in from outside the area. They had their own cook, marking a shift from earlier times when most workers ate in Storgården in multiple shifts. The building reflects the post-war transition and the need to accommodate workers without local ties.
Jomfruburet (11)
One of the oldest buildings at Havnnes, likely dating back to the 18th century. The house got its name (“Jomfruburet” meaning “The Maiden’s Loft”) because it was at times used by unmarried, elderly women in the family.
When a basement was dug under the house in the late 1940s, timber and objects were found that suggest even earlier settlement on the site. In a fire insurance assessment from 1853, the building is referred to as “Jomfruburet kaldet, af Furretømmer” (“called Jomfruburet, made of pine timber”).
Its historical significance and preservation value make Jomfruburet one of the most treasured landmarks of the trading post.
Bårdstua (12)
A traditional and very old building originally used to provide lodging for transport workers (skysskarer), fishermen, and other travelers – in accordance with Havnnes’ official license to operate as a guesthouse. At one point, there were two such buildings at the trading post.
Beneath part of the Bårstua lies a small cellar with walls built from rounded stones gathered from the shoreline, offering an authentic glimpse into historical construction techniques.
Fjøsen (13)
The original barn from 1845 could accommodate 30 cattle and 70 smaller livestock. The current barn, likely built in the 1890s, remained in operation until the mid-20th century and housed 20 dairy cows, calves, five horses, and a large flock of sheep. A separate sheep barn was attached, and there were once pigsties and a henhouse as well, which were demolished when the road was constructed.
Three smaller haylofts were built along the fjord as new land was cleared, but these were burned by the Germans during the evacuation in 1944/45. They were later replaced by Storlaen, a large hay barn still standing 2.5 km from the trading post.
A summer barn and milking cabin were constructed in the 1850s and used while the animals grazed in the outlying pastures. Both structures have since been destroyed or lost to fire. The farm also had a mountain pasture (sæter) with a barn and two cabins at Sommersætra, located between Havnnes and Uløybukt.
Vedsjåen/Naustet (14)
The boathouse, which originally stood where the Hans Jacob Wharf is now located, was later rebuilt adjacent to the woodshed and sheep barn northeast of the main barn. The boathouse originally had covered storage areas (svaler) on both sides for storing equipment and tools. These side structures were built around 1850, while the boathouse itself is even older.
During the interwar period, the northern sval was used as an icehouse, and after the war it temporarily served as a communal kitchen for both residents and evacuees. Later, Hans Jacob Giæver established his private workshop in this very sval.
Smia (15)
This building is a result of increased awareness around fire safety during the period between 1845 and 1860. An earlier smithy was located closer to the main cluster of buildings, but Jens S. Hallen had a new one constructed in a central spot on the uttun (outer yard), strategically placed near the brook for safety reasons.
It stands as a testament to the practical and well-considered building traditions at Havnnes.
Redskapshuset (16)
Erected after World War II to replace an older structure that was demolished by German forces, this building was soon expanded eastward with the addition of a carpentry workshop. The extension played an important role during the post-war reconstruction period.
Today, the original section and the extension can be clearly distinguished by examining the foundations beneath the building.
Rekefabrikken (17)
Formerly known as “Brenneriet” (the refinery), this building was originally used to produce cod liver oil from fish liver. As early as 1845, a trankogeri (fish oil facility) is mentioned as being located 14 alen (about 8.8 meters) from the Jomfruburet.
Around 1952, fish oil production was discontinued, and the building was repurposed as a shrimp processing plant. At that time, the roof was raised by half a story to accommodate a small apartment and a dining area for the workers—often referred to as the “shrimp girls.”
Initially, the shrimp were canned; later, they were frozen. The factory closed at the end of the 1970s, and the machinery was relocated to Skjervøy.
Båthuset (18)
Built around 1950 to store four notdorryer—also known as seine boats—used in herring net fishing. These boats played a crucial role in the traditional fishery practices of the time.
With the introduction of the power block in the early 1960s, the need for such boats declined. Some were sold and converted into leisure boats, while others remained in active use, including one that served as an expedition boat in Årviksand on the island of Arnøya.
