Bustarfell in Vopnafjörður
At Bustarfell there is a large, elegant turf farm. It houses the Bustarfell museum where old artifacts from the farm and from the family who lived there are exhibited.
Some parts of the old farm remain from when the farm was rebuilt after a great fire in 1770. However, it is difficult to determine the exact age of the individual buildings with certainty.
In 1944 the old farmhouse was adapted to the needs of a 20th century family by adding three small concrete structures: a small kitchen, a central-heating compartment and a lavatory. Central heating was installed, along with electricity supplied by a small generator in the larder. Several floors are covered in sheet flooring; such flooring was first installed in the early 1900s. The present farmhouse is thus a unique example of the way a centuries-old architectural tradition was adapted to the technological advances of the last century.
Bustarfell Museum, a heritage museum, is housed in the turf farmhouse. Most of the exhibits were owned by Methúsalem Methúsalemsson (1889-1969), farmer at Bustarfell, but items have also been added from elsewhere in the region. In 1982 Methúsalem's personal collection was established as a non-profit organisation. The collection was presented to the people of Vopnafjörður by his daughter, Elín Methúsalemsdóttir, for conservation.
New objects are still being contributed to the collection. The collection is still presented much as Methúsalem intended, leaving a distinct impression that the residents of the farmhouse have just stepped out and will be back in a minute. The museum offers a number of events each year, such as Bustarfell Day in July. Hjáleigan, The Croft café, adjacent to the old farmhouse, is open daily during the summer season.
