Loan granary warehouse
The loan granary – that is, the parish granary system – dates back to the time of Swedish rule.
According to a decision made at the 1755–1756 Diet of the Estates, a grain storehouse was to be established in every parish. During good harvest years, grain was stored in the warehouse, which could be lent out as seed and food in years of crop failure, with interest. Any surplus grain that was not lent out was auctioned, among other things, to support poor relief and maintain schools. In 1857, a regulation came into effect which stipulated that alongside the parish granary, there should be separate seed grain and emergency relief granaries. The structures of the granaries had to be robust to prevent theft, as well as to prevent moisture and pests from entering the building. In 1929, there were a total of 446 loan granaries in Finland.
Rest and take a break at the self-service point
Information
The Taipalsaari loan granary warehouse is a log building constructed in the early 19th century, with wooden cladding painted with red ochre. The lower part of the building features double walls separated by an empty space, which were designed to prevent grain theft. The double walls prevented grain from being poured through a hole drilled in the wall.
In 1951, a local heritage museum was established in the loan granary warehouse, which opened to the public in 1953. The ground floor of the two-story building contains small exhibition rooms showcasing local agricultural tools and industries, such as grain threshing, fishing, and dairy farming. There are also dedicated exhibition spaces for ecclesiastical artifacts and clothing from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The upper floor is an open exhibition space displaying larger furniture and items related to agriculture.
The museum was managed by the Taipalsaari Local Heritage and Museum Association until 1985, after which the operation has been overseen by the municipality of Taipalsaari. In recent decades, the museum has not been regularly open, but the inventory was checked, digitally photographed, and cataloged in 2013. The building’s exterior cladding was repainted in the summer of 2014.