Historic Scandinavian Clubhouse Restoration
Donation protected
Help us fund the Historic Restoration of a 90-year old Norwegian/Scandinavian Community Clubhouse, built with the volunteer labor of immigrants!
In 1926, a hardy group of Norwegian immigrants to San Francisco banded together to build a three-story wooden, “national romantic” clubhouse in California’s Santa Cruz mountains. Their goal was to preserve the traditions, foods, music and culture of their homeland in a park-like setting in the redwoods. For generations, the Clubhouse helped them fulfill this goal. But in the 1970’s, deferred maintenance caused wood to split, shingles to fall off and the building to fall into disrepair. The Clubhouse was functionally abandoned for decades.
More recently, however, San Francisco’s Sons of Norway fraternal group has contributed a great deal of money to begin restoring the building. Fire sprinklers have been installed throughout, earthquake proofing has taken place, painting and waterproofing carried out and rough plumbing and electrical work have been done. Restoration stopped dead in its tracks, though, when more than $350,000 in mandatory Americans with Disabilities (A.D.A.) work had to be completed before the job could proceed any further. The A.D.A. work is now finished, and we need your help to finish the job.
Our non-profit organization’s (IRS 501c7) goal is to build a meeting place and community center for all Scandinavians in Northern California, where cultural events can be held, conferences on Nordic issues can take place and weddings, birthdays and anniversaries celebrated. Can you help us reach our initial goal of $350,000, which will go far to let us open the first two floors of the building for use by the Norwegian and Scandinavian cultural communities.
In 1926, a hardy group of Norwegian immigrants to San Francisco banded together to build a three-story wooden, “national romantic” clubhouse in California’s Santa Cruz mountains. Their goal was to preserve the traditions, foods, music and culture of their homeland in a park-like setting in the redwoods. For generations, the Clubhouse helped them fulfill this goal. But in the 1970’s, deferred maintenance caused wood to split, shingles to fall off and the building to fall into disrepair. The Clubhouse was functionally abandoned for decades.
More recently, however, San Francisco’s Sons of Norway fraternal group has contributed a great deal of money to begin restoring the building. Fire sprinklers have been installed throughout, earthquake proofing has taken place, painting and waterproofing carried out and rough plumbing and electrical work have been done. Restoration stopped dead in its tracks, though, when more than $350,000 in mandatory Americans with Disabilities (A.D.A.) work had to be completed before the job could proceed any further. The A.D.A. work is now finished, and we need your help to finish the job.
Our non-profit organization’s (IRS 501c7) goal is to build a meeting place and community center for all Scandinavians in Northern California, where cultural events can be held, conferences on Nordic issues can take place and weddings, birthdays and anniversaries celebrated. Can you help us reach our initial goal of $350,000, which will go far to let us open the first two floors of the building for use by the Norwegian and Scandinavian cultural communities.
Organizer and beneficiary
Norman Ronneberg
Organizer
Redwood City, CA
Henrik Ibsen Lodge
Beneficiary