WW - Gimle
The shipping company Wilh. Wilhelmsen was founded in 1861, with offices at Ørsnes. The Wilhelmsen family lived in Tønsberg but wished to settle on Nøtterøy.
Owned by the Wilhelmsen family, 1896–1918 In 1906, the property was taken over by Wilhelm Wilhelmsen, known as "The Captain." He was the second son of Morten Wilh. Wilhelmsen and the brother of Halfdan Wilhelmsen.
Captain Wilhelm Wilhelmsen commissioned the construction of a beautiful manor-style main building designed by architect Henrik Bull; the property was named "Gimle Hovedgaard". For many years, the building was one of the largest on Nøtterøy and has long been admired for its beautiful style.
The ground floor of the building contained a kitchen, a pantry, a dining room, several sitting rooms, and a large hall with a staircase leading to the upper floor, which housed bedrooms, a bathroom, and maids' rooms.
Over time, a servant's cottage, a stable, and a carriage house were erected on the property. A large, beautiful park was laid out around the building, and within the park, "The Pavilion" was built — a playhouse designed in the same style as the main house. In addition to domestic staff for the large house, stable hands were employed to care for the two horses and the various carriages. The horses were primarily used to drive family members into town, though they were also used for riding.
The Wilhelmsen family maintained an active social life and kept a large, hospitable home. The shipping company Wilh. Wilhelmsen, which had long maintained its headquarters at Ørnes, relocated its offices to Oslo; in 1918, Wilhelmsen sold "Gimle" and moved his family to Oslo.