Storegade 19, House of Court Councillor Martensen’s Widow (listed)

This distinguished and beautiful house of nine bays was built by the widow of Court Councillor Michael Martensen in 1788. Probably because the new court councillor had moved into her previous home – Storegade 11. Her name was Christiane Louise Charlotta, and she was the daughter of Colonel Ditmar, who worked for Duke Frederick Christian I. She lived in the house with her son until her death in 1810.

In 1814, Royal Physician Heinrich Wilhelm Henrici from Hamburg moved into the house. He had come to replace Royal Physician Suadecani, who lived in Slotsallé 14. Henrici owned the house until 1845, after which it was owned by master baker Peter Thomsen from Bagergyde 1.

In 1930, the house was purchased by grocer Richard Forum Jørgensen, who started a grocery store with a warehouse in the barn and back buildings. It was a real old-fashioned country store, and among the locals the house is still known as “The Old Grocery Store”.

The business closed in 1969, and after the death of her parents, their daughter Ruth Forum Møller took over the house. Ruth was chairman of the Local History Archive and made sure, among other things, that the façade of the house was restored to its original appearance. After Ruth’s death in 2016, the house was sold to hotel owner Mads Friis from Benniksgaard.

The large living room in the western part of the house is largely influenced by the time when it was used as a grocery store, but in the eastern living rooms you can still see some original doors, panels, ceilings and oven niches. In the room next to the kitchen is an original “half basement” where supplies could be stored.

The house is built in neoclassical style and has a ground floor area of 134 square meters. The façade is divided into bays with lesenes around the windows like the Palace. The windows are of a more recent date and originally had smaller panes, probably the size of those seen in the east gable.

If you look at the centrally placed wall dormer it has two narrow “peek windows” in the sides. It must have been good to sit unnoticed and watch who came walking up and down the street. One must remember that the Palace was a centre of power that attracted many of the prominent figures of the time, including nobles and royalty as well as the cultural elite of the time.

The door is a double-leafed neoclassical door with corrugated pilasters divided by a meander border (a border in Greek style). Above the door are two small oval windows that direct the light into the vestibule. The door frame carries a small console roof under which the house number sits.

Apart from one missing chimney to the west, the house appears very original and strictly symmetrical according to the ideals of the time. The barn is also a listed building. It has a mansard roof and was probably built around 1850. The barn flanks the main house and together with the other buildings forms an enclosed courtyard, which is paved with boulders. There is access to the courtyard via a driveway between the houses.