MARKET SQUARE

Heinola Residence 250 Years

Establishment of the Residence

The Kymenkartano County governor’s residence, and thus the administrative centre, was established in Heinola in 1776 by order of King Gustav III. The governor’s official residence served as its hub.

Location of the official residence

In the original plan the official residence was to be located at the riverside end of The Perspective, also known as Maaherranpuisto. However, in 1787, Governor Robert Wilhelm de Geer had his official residence built in in the middle of what is now the market square. Adjacent to it were also the administrative buildings housing the civil servants and their offices. After the residency period, the building served as a school from 1847 until it was demolished in the 1890s.

Life at the Residence

In 1787, Nils Schillmark, an artist of the Gustavian era, captured the landscapes of Heinola on canvas and created overdoor paintings depicting the privileged life at the Residence.

The building’s later use and demolition

After its time as a residence, the building served as a school from 1847 until its demolition in the 1890s.

The market square’s origins and present day

Market life began at the same location in 1862, and the area has served as a meeting and trading place for the people of Heinola ever since. The market was last renovated in 2023.

1. Nils Schillmark: Heinola, Jyränkö Stream, 1787, oil, Ateneum Art Museum. The main building of the residence was a two-storey structure with a high mansard roof, clad in vertical boards and painted with Falun red. The interior was luxurious by local standards.

2. Nils Schillmark: Interior, 1787, oil. Standing on the right are County Secretary Jeremias Wallens and his wife Maria Sofia Hahr; on the left is the noble-born Miss Elsa Lode. The painting comes from Wallens’s house, which was located on the site of the current Volunteer Fire Brigade building on Kauppakatu.