Raatihuoneenkatu 2 – A Railway Guard’s Cottage Given New Life in Kaskinen

The building at Raatihuoneenkatu 2 was originally built in 1898 in Sepänkylä, Vaasa, as a railway guard’s cottage for the Finnish State Railways. It was a type of cottage intended for a single railway guard. The building represents the architecture of the Art Nouveau period and offers a glimpse into everyday life along the railway more than a century ago.

The building was given a new life when it was dismantled and moved from Sepänkylä to Kaskinen in 2007. Work on the foundations and the reassembly of the timber frame began in September 2008 at its present location behind Bladh House, at the intersection of Cneiffinpolku and Raatihuoneenkatu. Careful restoration has preserved the historic building and allowed its story to continue in a new setting.

The property also includes an outbuilding inspired by the drawings of the barn that originally belonged to the main building. The timber-framed outbuilding contains a sauna and a guest room. It complements the traditional courtyard and respects the history of the site.

Visitors to the fair can explore an unusual relocation and reconstruction project and see how a timber house more than a century old has become part of Kaskinen’s unique wooden townscape. The site provides an interesting perspective on building conservation, traditional construction methods and the possibilities of giving a historic building a new life.