Published: 23.06.2015 | Author: Nils Georg Brekke, Tore Lande Moe
THE HAUGA HOUSE AND THE SKILBECK COLLECTION
The writer Jens Tvedt (1857-1936) was born in the Hauga House at Tveito, and this is where he lived until he was 19 years old when he went to Stord Teacher Training College. In 1904 he moved to Stavanger, but when he visited his home community, he sat on the loft in the Hauga House and wrote. The house, a timbered building with a loft surrounded by an orchard and a stonewall, had been built by his father, Johannes. He was a subordinate officer and a municipal treasurer.
Around 1898 the house was bought by the English businessman, J.H.Skilbeck, who showed a great interest in the rural culture. He and his descendants gradually built up a large collection of fine objects and antiquities. Some of these are on view in the old smoke house (Bakkastova) at Tveito: Dunstan Skilbeck's Collection. This is privately owned, but Sunnhordland Folk Museum has the responsibility for the Hauga House. One of the houses is furnished with Jens Tvedt’s furniture from his time in Stavanger. In the house there are also manuscripts and other material from the writer.
- Leirvik, R.: Jens Tvedt. Diktaren og miljøet. Shld. 1977, s. 71-85.
- Myklebust, T.: Nistovetunet og Jens Tvedt-heimen. Shld. 1960, s. 96-98.
- Tvedt, A.: Jens Tvedt og heimbygda hans Shld. 1976, s. 52-55.