Have a Hand in History!

A Craftsman on Two Continents

Aslak Olsen Lie House Restoration

& Education Project

How often do you have a chance to help preserve an important piece of history and also share its unique story with thousands of children and adults each year? The Aslak Olsen Lie House Restoration and Education Project is a rare opportunity to do just that. If you value history and love a story of an artistic life well lived, you will want to be a part of this unique project. You can have a hand in history by making an on-line contribution today to the Aslak Olsen Lie House Restoration and Education Project. 

The total budget for the project is $146,000. Individual donors have already contributed over $20,000 and the Jeffris Family Foundation has generously pledged an additional $42,115 in matching grant funds for new contributions. Help us make the match!  Our current goal is to raise the remaining $84,000 in gifts and pledges.  If you wish to make a pledge to contribute, or would like to receive additional information on recognition opportunities, contact Folklore Village Executive Director, Doug Miller: doug@folklorevillage.org or (608) 924-4000.  There is also a convenient online Donate button located at the bottom of this page. 

The Aslak Olsen Lie (pronounced Lee) House was built in Southern Wisconsin in 1848-49. Aslak was a master craftsman, carpenter, cabinetmaker and blacksmith in his native Norway and then in the United States. He is one of the few country immigrant craftsmen in the United States whose work has been traced on both sides of the Atlantic. His Wisconsin home is one of the oldest Norwegian American structures in Wisconsin.

Since the mid 1960's, the Lie House has sat empty, untended and inaccessible to the public. By 2002, this 34' X 17' two-story log and timber frame home was in desperate need of relocation and extensive repairs if it was to survive.  To preserve and honor this unique piece of Norwegian-American, early-Wisconsin history, its owners donated this treasure to Folklore Village in 2003. The Aslak Olsen Lie House has since been painstakingly documented, labeled, dismantled and all materials placed in protective storage. Expert craftsmen have now begun the painstaking process of cleaning and restoring each individual log and board.

At every step of the way, this project has been enthusiastically supported and encouraged by State, Regional and National historians. They have been joined in their support by their counterparts in Norway. All agree that this is a one-of-a-kind building with a rich and multi-faceted story. It is also agreed that Lie's Wisconsin home deserves the effort and expense it will take to restore and bring it back to life.

A thoroughly researched Historical, Architectural Analysis, and Restoration Plan for the Lie House was researched and completed in early 2009, thanks to a grant from the Jeffris Family Endowed Preservation Fund through the National Trust for Historic Preservation.The cost for the reconstruction, restoration and interpretation of the Aslak Olsen Lie House is $146,345. Phil Mayer has contributed $20,000 to this project. The Jeffris Family Foundation has generously pledged to contribute $42,115 in matching funds, provided Folklore Village raises the remaining $84,230. Work is now underway and will continue as contributions are received. The restoration could be completed in 8-12 months, if contributions keep pace with restoration. 

View Architectual Drawings (PDF)     Drawing 1      Drawing 2

The project will immediately receive $42,115 in matching funds, once we have raised the $84,230 match. You can be a part of this historic project by contributing your financial support today.

Ways you can contribute:

Mail your Check to:
Folklore Village
3210 County BB
Dodgeville, WI 53533
(Please write "Aslak Lie" in memo space.)

Online:

  1. Click on the above Donate Button.

2. In the first box labeled "Purpose" please type "Lie House"

3. Type in the Amount of Your Contribution. Make sure to click UPDATE before filling out the rest of the form. (If you would like to add an extra $5 help cover credit card processing fees we would appreciate it.)

4. Complete form.  

By Phone:

Call (608)924-4000 and tell our staff the you wish to contribute to the Lie House.

Photo Credits: Black and White: Andrew Dahl, Color: Doug Miller