The meltinghut at Kyrhaug

From the beginning of the 18th century there was mining at Skjølberg, where first found an iron ore and then copper. The ore was transported to a melting hut here at Kyrhaug. In 1720, the speculator overtook the mining business. Niels Josten - merchant and shipowner and co-owner of several quarries and sawmills around the country. A new melting hut with two ovens was set up here at Kyrhaug. The daily management of the smelting hut was in a large timber building. Important things must have been going on in this house for four of the doors could be locked with a key! Josten imported coal from England where he had a brother who operated by sea. This was new in the mining industry in Norway. He employed English miners to operate the melting hut. Due to excessive faith in the ore deposits, along with money shortages and large loans, Josten ended up in prison. In 1734 the melting hut and the remains of the mining company was in ruins. What had once been the center of a large-scale industrial project was reduced to a troublesome ruin.