The Fagervik Ironworks date back to the time of Swedish rule in
Finland. In 1646, Carl Billsten, a merchant from Stockholm, was
given permission to build at Fagervik a blast furnace for the
smelting of iron ore. Fagervik, in common with other ironworks
situated in the western part of the Uusimaa province, was an
integral part of the Swedish iron industry, which occupied a
leading position in 17th-century Europe. Fagervik was favourably
sited in that the necessary waterfalls were close to the coast. The
iron ore was brought by sea from Sweden, and some of the production
was shipped back to Stockholm. Billsten also owned the Billnäs
Ironworks in the nearby parish of Pohja. In addition to the blast
furnace, water-driven bar iron and blacksmith's forges essential in
the fining of iron were built. Billsten also built a foundry and a
water-driven sawmill, as well as the manor house and other utility
and residential buildings. During the Russian occupation in
1713-21, the works were destroyed down to the ground.
After the war, the ironworks at Fagervik and Billnäs as well as
the Skogby blast furnace were bought by two brothers from
Stockholm, Johan Wilhelm and Michael Hising. The buildings and
equipment were repaired, and the production picked up rapidly. A
new product - tin-plate - was introduced in the 1730s, soon after
the works had changed hands. The works church dates back to this
period.
The next owner was Michael's son Johan (knighted in 1770 and
given the surname Hisinger); under whose direction the works saw
their most flourishing years. The blast furnace was renovated and
new bar iron and blacksmith's forges were built. The Pomeranian war
(1757-62) had brought a stop to the tin-plate production in Central
Europe, with the result that Swedish tin-plate found a ready
market. Consequently, Hisinger had a large tin-plate forge and a
plating shop built. Fagervik was the largest producer of tin-plate
in Scandinavia, and perhaps in the entire world.
During Johan Hisinger's time a new manor house with utility
buildings was constructed according to drawings made by the city
architect at Turku, Christoffer Friedrich Schröder. The cottages
flanking the works street were constructed after a fire in 1775. In
addition to developing the production of iron, gardening occupied
an important position. Rare trees were planted, and the first
harvest of grapes was gathered in 1779. The present greenhouses are
from the 1840s.
Productive activity at the works gradually died down during the
latter half of the 19th century. The blast furnace was closed in
the 1850s, and only insignificant ruins of it remain to be seen.
The equipment in the forges was partially renewed as late as 1860s,
but producing iron with water power and charcoal was no longer
competitive. The works were finally closed in 1902.
The bar iron and blacksmith's forges were restored in 1981-1991
with a restoration grant from the Finnish government and under the
supervision of the National Board of Antiquities.
Please note that some of the area is in private residential
use!
The cache is a film canister, and you don't have to dig or move
anything to find it!