Kastellveien 3 – The Sailor's Home Kastellet
This house probably dates back to the late 18th century. The floor plan, with a hallway and door in the middle of the main facade, suggests an older building tradition than what is seen in much of the later reconstruction of the city that was built after the city fire in 1861.
People who lived close to the sea resided and worked here, and in 1863, it was shipmaster Severin Ellefsen who owned the house. That alone says a lot about the town around you: it was home to people who made a living from, and on, the sea.
Later, the house took on a new role. In 1923, it was sold to the Risør home for retired sailors. It's a beautiful and somewhat moving part of the story: a house in a maritime town became a safe home for older men who had spent their lives at sea. At the end of the 1980s, Risør sailor's club took over the house and used it as their club house. Thus, the maritime connection continued, just in a new form. This is a place that not only tells us about architecture, but also about community in a coastal town.