Reynistaður
At Reynistaður in Skagafjörður the entrance hall is all that remains of a large farm that Þóra Björnsdóttir had built after a great fire in 1758. The farmhouse entrance gate is one of the few existing examples of a timber frame of the type that was widely used in Iceland in the 18th century.
The old farmhouse buildings at Reynistaður were dismantled shortly after 1935, but this house was allowed to remain standing. The craftsmanship throughout the house shows that great care was taken in its construction, with many of the beams decorated with carved lines.
Around 1960, it was relocated, and a concrete barn was built around it. The entrance gate was kept inside the barn until 1999, when the wooden beams were removed and restored. The entrance gate was then re-erected close to its original location, with turf walls built around it and turf placed on the roof. Þóra was the widow of Halldór Brynjólfsson, Bishop of Hólar, and she managed the Reynistaður monastery estate after her husband's death in 1753.
The house has been under the care of the National Museum of Iceland since 1999. Please take care of the house and surroundings when visiting.