The Old Town Hall, Porvoo Museum

The history of Porvoo Museum connects in many ways to the Old Town Hall. Its rooms house the exhibitions of the museum, but the museum connects even to the building’s distinctive history. After the fire in Porvoo in 1760 many new buildings were constructed. The Old Town Hall also originates from those times. Built in 1762ー1764, it is the oldest still standing town hall in Finland. The Old Town Hall with its clocktower was at the time the symbol of earthly power and is now the symbol of the old town. The building used to house the city government, magistrate, and council, as well as the guardians of the law. The Town Hall had its moment in the sun during the Diet of Porvoo in spring 1809, when its halls were used for the meetings of the nobility and the burghers. During this time Finland was a part of the Russian empire.

The Town Hall was used for its original purpose until the 1800s. The museum association rescued the building from being torn down and began operating a museum in 1896. The building, which is owned by the city of Porvoo, went through major repairs that were finished in 2009.

Even though the Old Town Hall was built on a hill, the layer of clay in the soil gave in and the building began to sink. Part of the reason might have been the fact that the builders didn’t have enough experience building stone buildings. Over the years the building has been repaired so that it won’t sink any further, but the lopsided doorways and inclined floors are among its distinct characteristics.