WW - Møllebakken

The villa's history dates back to the late 19th century. Johs. H. Bull (b. 1860) purchased the property at St. Olavsgate 6 from his aunt and uncle, Svend and Lena Foyn; the house known as "Møllebakken" was built there in 1890. It was constructed in the Swiss chalet style, which was the prevailing fashion of the time. From this large estate, he subdivided and sold two plots further down the hill to Svend Foyn. There, Foyn built *Svend og Lena Foyns Minde* and the Svend Foyn Prayer House, both of which still stand today. 

                                          THE MANY OWNERS THROUGHOUT THE 20TH CENTURY                                          In 1905, the villa was sold to Consul Halfdan Wilhelmsen, who gave the house a neoclassical touch and added a tower featuring large leaded-glass windows. In the beautiful staircase leading to the second floor, one can still see the monograms of Halfdan and Ragnhild Wilhelmsen — HW at the top of the south window and RW at the bottom. Inside the villa, there was a smoking room (now known as the Gentlemen's Lounge), a drawing room (the Ladies' Lounge), and a ballroom (now the Yellow Room). The dining room and billiard room have been combined to form the current Banquet Hall. The parquet flooring, wood paneling, and cabinetry date back to 1905. The original, beautiful paneling in the Banquet Hall had been concealed behind wallboards; it was revealed during the renovation and restoration work carried out by the Foundation in 1999–2000.  

In 1917, wholesaler Hans M. Vik purchased the property; in 1923, ownership passed to Consul F. Bugge, who sold it to Gustav B. Bull in 1935. Consul Bugge evidently continued to lease the property until 1939, when Mayor/Chief Administrative Officer Anders Rørholt secured city council approval to purchase the building at Møllebakken using funds from the Library's building fund. He had been prepared to step in and make the purchase privately himself, as he had not yet had time to present the matter to the library board. 

On April 8, 1940, a decision was made to convert the building into a library, a project that included upgrading the heating system. It was scheduled to be ready for occupancy in the autumn of 1940. However, history took a different turn. As is well known, the Germans invaded Norway the following day, and "Møllebakken" was requisitioned by the German occupation forces. A lease agreement was signed with them in March 1941, at a rate of NOK 500 per month. Tønsberg Library was finally able to move in in 1946. A masonry extension known as "Magasinet" (The Stack Room) was constructed between the wings on the north side. The children's department was located in the west wing on the ground floor. 

The library remained there for nearly 46 years before moving to the "Glass House" on Storgaten in 1992. In 1988, politicians had voted by an overwhelming majority to demolish the building to make way for a parking lot serving the Haugar Art Museum, which was also being established at the time. Fortunately, however, that did not happen.

                                           Photo: Bjørn-Eddy Bøhn