Houen Margarete Foundation

The Houen Margarete Foundation is a Norwegian charitable foundation associated with Arendal and established through a donation by Anton Christian Houen in 1891. Houen gave NOK 200,000 to Arendal Municipality and named the foundation after his mother, Margarete. The foundation was created with a social and civic purpose: to establish an old-age home for people who had reached at least sixty years of age, could no longer secure an adequate livelihood, and lacked close relatives able to care for them. Houen also intended the institution to be situated in a healthy, attractive rural setting and to become a source of civic pride for Arendal.

The Houen Margarete Foundation originated in a philanthropic gift made by Anton Christian Houen to Arendal Municipality in 1891. Houen specified that the money should be used to create an institution for older residents who were unable to support themselves and had no close family members to provide care. The foundation was named for his mother, Margarete, and its governing statutes were approved by Arendal's executive council in September of that year. Houen's instructions covered not only the institution's social purpose but also the design of its buildings, the management of the property, house rules, and the foundation's statutes. A suitable site was sought in the Arendal area. The foundation selected the Åsen property in Barbu Municipality, an area later incorporated into Arendal Municipality, with views toward Galtesund and the shipping route serving Arendal. Additional parcels were acquired, creating a larger tract between Gamle Songevei and Kystveien. Although the planned residence could not immediately be constructed because the foundation's capital was insufficient, the grounds were developed during the early twentieth century as an attractive public park. The park included ponds, sculptures, lawns, flowerbeds, and a playground. It became a recreational destination for local residents and hosted concerts and other public events. The foundation's residential project was eventually realized in 1955 with assistance from municipal grants. Over time, the original park was reduced in size. Portions were used for expansion of the old-age home, parking, and other development, including land connected with the ABBL/Kuviga housing cooperative. The foundation's statutes nevertheless retain a protective principle requiring the property to be safeguarded from future construction that would undermine its rural character. The foundation is therefore notable not as a commercial consumer brand but as an example of nineteenth-century Norwegian civic philanthropy. Its legacy combines institutional elder care, municipal cooperation, landscape preservation, and public recreation. The foundation's historical archive is held by the Aust-Agder cultural-historical center.

• 1955

  Old-age home completed with municipal support

  [1]Houen Margarete Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The foundation's planned residence was finally built after municipal grants supplemented the foundation's available capital.

• 1900

  Park developed at Åsen

  [1]Houen Margarete Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  During the early twentieth century, the Åsen property was developed into a landscaped park with ponds, sculptures, lawns, flowerbeds, and a playground, becoming a popular public gathering place.

• 1891

  Foundation established through Anton Christian Houen's gift

  [1]Houen Margarete Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Anton Christian Houen donated NOK 200,000 to Arendal Municipality to establish a foundation named after his mother and dedicated to an old-age home and park facility.

• 1891

  Statutes approved

  [1]Houen Margarete Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The foundation's statutes, including provisions for the proposed institution, its rules, and the design of the property, were approved by Arendal's executive council in September.

A locally rooted philanthropic foundation combining elder care with stewardship of a civic park and cultural landscape.

1. 1Houen Margarete Foundationen.wikipedia.org