The Raahe Free Church was founded on the 22nd of April 1934. Its roots are even further in the past, in the 1870s. In 1992 the Raahe Free Church gained the ownership of the property at Brahenkatu 15.
The property of the Raahe Free Church at Brahenkatu 15 has been home to many influential people in Raahe during its long history.
Matthias Junell (1766-1843), a shipowner and deputy mayor, had the house built in the 19th century, shortly after the devastating town fire of 1810.
The house was owned in the mid-19th century by Gustaf Hultman (b.1825 Ekenäs), a customs officer. He is remembered in the history of Raahe as a person who was interested in the well-being of the town.
Master of Arts Gustaf Adolf Wangel (1854-1924) moved to Raahe in 1887 with his wife Sigrid and daughters Ester and Dagmar. He initially worked as a lecturer at the Raahe Elementary School. In 1895 he bought a house at Brahenkatu 15 and a plot of land No. 29 in the fourth district of Raahe.
The school was destroyed in the church fire in 1908 and replaced by a new educational institution now known as Keskuskoulu, Central School at the end of Koulukatu. The new school premises were opened in September 1912, with Gustaf Adolf Wangel as the school's first headmaster.
Additional Information (In Finnish)
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