Edited text from info plates.
Grängshammrs works was from the beginning a
silver mine which also took care of melting iron, but became
later mostly known for having a process for pig iron. The first
owner was a man named Ambjörn and he lived in 1500.
Gustav Vasa took the ownership of Granges
foundry 1550, but took ove Granges foundry 1550. The profitability was not big enough for the King. His
attitude "was not to keep any iron production at Grenges
foundry, less than there were silver or copper ore". The foundry
was blown out in the beginning of 1600.
At older foundries were there many
farmers and forrest owners. Pig iron were produced during a long time as the most
premier export product. Anyway pig iron was only a step on the
way for iron productions and profitability raised cinsiderably
if it was reworked to plates or bars. Sweden was forced to buy
these product as long as it wasn't produced localy. Gustav
vasa undserstodd this and he started so called Royal works,
among them one in Ludvika.
In order to build up the Swede iron bar
production large investments were needed from the owners and
they had not enough with money for this.
The new owners, production owners, came
from the middle class and adel and the financiers were often
european trade establishments. The land farmers lost more or
less all influence over the mining activities. During 1600 many
small works communities grew around the factories.
All these works were settled in a special
pattern for the industrial buildings. Manor house, living houses
for iron workers, storing buildings and a church. Often all were
built up around one long central road. Experienced black smiths were
invited from Germany.
Grangeshyttan was bought 1624 by county
governor Petter Kruse. He was a compentent and active man with
good feeling for business. He came from the beginning from Lübeck
and was a rich man because of high business profits.
A new intensive time started, one works building was built and
three hammers were built. As all these kind of works were self
supporting for the people. Therefore there were also big farming,
one wooden mill saw and a flour mill. Priviligies were got from
government for these production things. Also they got
allowance for a foundry 1628
The products were mainly simple steel plate
production. Foundries were built at Brafall,
Granges works now gets the name Grangshammar.
During Kruse's lead Queen Christina visited this place, it
can today be notified by the riding place which was set up for
her amusement. It is placed in the manor park. There is also a
small cabana built on an island.
From the end of 1600 to the begining of 1800 the works works
were owned by heritage Silverstråle. During this time there were
2 tilthammers and 4 hot-beds. The Silverstråle family also built
a big manor inculing head house and two wings and also a park
Grangshammer has one of the most beautifull
works environments which consist of stylistisc pure buildings
built by gleaming chrushed slag.
"At Grangshammar works there are some
exclusive realized area drawings. The very clean condition which
this place performed show it's beauty and in the same time it's
liveliness. This is shown at the larger works". This is the
description by the traveller Sebastian von Unge when he visited
What we see today are primarly the evidence
from the last good time in during 1800. The activities was at
his time led by the capable Olof Forsgren, who built the very special
and decorative coal yard. This can still be seen.
This heydays started 1817 when a new
company took over the lead. The work was led by the capable
Captain Mechanicus Nils Olof Forsgren. More about this man and
his special way of building handsome houses can be read on a
sign board in the church of Silvberg
The old tilt smith building was rebuilt. New
previlegiums were given for a nail hammer and also an other type
of black smith works, built upside the water stream. This work
produced square iron bars, 7 in each packet. 1834 a new coal
house was built. Also other types of houses were built such as
store buildings, living houses for black smiths, a fluor barn
1849 and the new church 1834.
In order to make it easier to transport pig
iron from Ulfshyttan to Grangshammar Forsgren started to build a
channel with two floodgates betrween pond lake and large Ulf
lake. All was digged out by hand.The barges could take 50
pounds which is 9.7 ton. Furthermore a new road was built
between Grangshammar and the Bond foundry to be used for
transports to harbour in Smedjebacken.
1855 during the last years of Forsgren lead
Grangshammarthe production was 714 tons of bar iron. This is a large
production using only handicraft methods.
Hard times came 1860 for the smal iron
works. A new method using rolling mills started to be used. 1877
the iron bar production was ceased.
1887 a new company was established which
took over Grangshammr production. This was
works. All production were moved to Ulfshyttan.