Fräkentorp history

Fräkentorp is located in Little Malma parish, Södermanland, by lake Björken (also called Bjuren which occurs in older literature, and means beaver), south of Eskilstuna. It was only during the Middle Ages that solid houses were built in the Fräkentorp surroundings. Fräkentorp was known in 1599 (then the spelling was Frechnetorp, meaning “croft”, often used to denote a new building) and was a royal estate.

The main farmhouse, Fräkentorp, was bought by nobleman David Stuart in 1638. Johan Lohe (a very wealthy German), bought Fräkentorp which at that time was jointly owned  Hellefors (which became Hälleforsnäs), Smedstorp, Hvarsta and Biby, next bought Fräkentorp.

Lohe’s daughter Hedvig, who lived to the age of 86, married Adam Leijel (Lyell) in 1713. Hedvig Leijel’s son Henrik sold all the properties in 1781 for 80,000 species (being comprised, in addition to the above, Fjellskäfte) to President and Commendören Baron of KNO Gustaf von Celsing, who made the entire property into an entailed estate. After Gustaf von Celsing’s death the estates went to his brother Envoy and Commendören Ulric von Celsing (died 1805), who enlarged the properties through additional purchases, and established in 1804 a new trust in favor of Commendören Lars Gustaf von Celsing (1763-1810).

1851 Fräkentorp was afreeholdmanorwithbrickworks.

1878 Fräkentorp became a manorand consistedof1/2assessment units(assessmentinvolved afarm wherea man with afamilycould liveon).

1908Fräkentorp was in U.Celsingsbrother'sson'sson'sson, ChamberlainLACelsingpossessionwho was alsothe holder ofLindholmsfideikomissinBarvaparish.

Fräkentorp main building was constructed in the 1700s (1600s of Sv. Estates and Farms 1958-59) which then only consisted of a ground floor. In 1801 the additional floor was built onto the house and it got its current appearance in the Gustavian style. The barn was built in 1872 in granite, with small dark stones wedged in the broad murfogarna as decoration. 

Almostall forestswere plantedbetween1920-25, after the foresthadbeen cut downbytheNorwegians who managedthe property.At the time,the farmhousewas usedasa granary.

From the early1920s,the farmwas owned and managedby theSwedishAgencyof Agriculture. After this timeFräkentorp changed ownersseveral times in a fewyears to1926 when it ended up invonHeideken'spossession.

1938 Fräkentorps consisted of an areaof 357ha,of which90ha arable landand 225hectares of forest. The assessed valuewas 99700 Swedish crowns.In addition, Fräkentorp had a livestock of 4 horses,30 cows, 15heifers, 4pigs and operated by tractor.

Source: http://frakentorp.se