Ingolfsnaust - Reykjavik, Iceland
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 64° 08.932 W 021° 56.485
27W E 454199 N 7113941
History of a neighborhood in Reykjavik.
Waymark Code: WMN6JB
Location: Iceland
Date Posted: 01/04/2015
Views: 7
The English portion of this sign reads:
"From the dawn of Icelandic history, the farmers of Reykjavik beached their fidhing boats here at Grofin. Their path to the farmstead to the sea is now Adalstraeti, Iceland's oldest street.
Trade began at Reykjavik in 1779-80, when the company that traded under a monopoly license from the King of Denmark and Iceland moved its premises from nearby Orfirrisy to a new site at Adalstraeti 2.
The trade monopoly was abolished in 1786, and Reykjavik was granted its trading charter, along with five other communities around the country. A map of the trading area was drawn in 1787 by royal astronomer Rasmus Lievog. Danes continued to dominate commerce in iceland until 1885, when Free Trade was introduced.
Merchants set up shop along the shoreline north of Hafnarstraeti, and built jetties where their goals were loaded and unloaded from ships anchored out in the bay. Reykjavik harbour was not built until 1917.
Adalstraeti no. 2 built in 1855 by merchant Robert Targesen, was purchased in 1865 by another merchant, Waldemar Fischer, after whom the Fischersund alley is named. In 1904, the premises were bought by H. P. Duus, who ran a shop there until 1927. Vesturgata 2 was built in 1862 by merchant C.P.A. Koch. To the north of the building was a jetty and a bulwark (sea wall) which is still visible. It was a condition of the construction permit that there should be a gateway through the building providing access to and from the seashore.
On the site which is now Hafnarstraeti 1-3, a building was constructed in 1765. Originally at Bersastadur (the governor's residence, now presidential residence) it was used to keep gyrfalcons, highly prized as hunting birds, which were captured in iceland for export. It was called the Falcon House. The original building was demolished in 1868, but the present building is still known as the Falcon House.
In front of Vesturgata 2 is a plaque in the pavement. When the system of street names and numbers was first formulated in 1848, this was designated the centre of Reykjavik: all streets were to be numbered from the end closest to this point with even numbers on the right and odd numbers on the left."
Group that erected the marker: City of Reykjavik
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
Adalstraeti 2
Reykjavik, Iceland
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed
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