The Savu Sauna at the Wirtanen Pioneer Farm stands as a testament to Finnish-American heritage and the ingenuity of early settlers. In 2008, a dedicated team of volunteers embarked on a meticulous restoration project to preserve this historical structure. This article details the extensive efforts undertaken during the summers of 2008 and 2009 to repair and revitalize the Pioneer Sauna, ensuring its legacy for future generations.
The initiative began at the April 2008 Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Wirtanen Pioneer Farm, where Harold Johnson and Norm Jarva volunteered to lead the repair. Funding was secured for materials and hardware, setting the stage for a comprehensive restoration. Initial inspections revealed significant deterioration in the sauna’s lower timbers. Decades of ground contact, moisture accumulation, inadequate ventilation, and pest infestation, particularly carpenter ants, had taken their toll. Extensive rot was evident in the lower courses of timbers on all four walls. To document the project thoroughly, photographs were taken at every stage – before, during, and after the repairs.
Past attempts at maintenance, ironically, seemed to have exacerbated the problems. Boards and tar paper, intended as protective measures, instead trapped moisture and hindered crucial air circulation, accelerating timber decay. To quantify the necessary repairs, Harold and Norm meticulously measured the sauna’s walls. Their calculations indicated a need for at least 18 timbers, each 6×8 inches and 14 feet long. Factoring in potential errors and unforeseen issues, they wisely decided to procure 21 or 22 timbers to ensure an adequate supply.
Inside the sauna, careful dismantling began. The dressing room and steam room benches, bearing the rich patina of soot from years of smoke sauna use, were carefully removed and preserved for reinstallation. These benches are considered integral to maintaining the character of Eli Wirtanen’s original construction. However, the steam room floor, deemed a later addition, was removed due to damage from ground water and steam. Plans were made to replace it with more durable materials and improved ventilation in the future.
The sauna stove, constructed from a section of steel road culvert, was found to be beyond repair – rusted, corroded, and unusable. Scrap steel fragments mixed with the heating rocks were discarded. Years of accumulated ash, clay soil, metal debris, and stones atop the “kiuas” (sauna stove) had compressed the original stones into the clay and dirt floor surrounding the heating area. This accumulation further highlighted the need for a comprehensive restoration.
Sourcing replacement timbers presented a challenge as suitable trees were not readily available on the Pioneer Farm. Generously, in July 2008, Norm Jarva donated seven mature red Norway pine trees from his Lakeland property. A team comprising Harold Johnson, Jack Huhta, Bill Marolt, Gene Saumer, Jim Nesselroad, Kraig Johnson, and Norm Jarva felled and prepared the trees. Mike Tynjala contributed his log hauler truck with a cherry picker and his expertise to load the 18 fourteen-foot timbers onto a goose-neck trailer and truck, which were provided by Keith Nelson and driven by his son, Aaron.
Aaron Nelson transported the timber to John Latola’s sawmill outside Aurora. John expertly sawed the logs into the required 6x8x14 timbers for the sauna’s wall replacements. Keith Nelson continued to support the project, making numerous trips over two summers to deliver both the timbers and rough-sawn boards used in the reconstruction. John Latola also milled one-inch boards from log sections, which were later used for framing doors and windows and even for soffits and eaves during the main house roof replacement, demonstrating resourcefulness and minimizing waste.
In July 2008, Martin Mattson, a local craftsman skilled in Finnish-style log building, conducted a workshop at the sauna site. He instructed Harold, Norm, and other attendees in the art of measuring, marking, and shaping compound mitered corners for precisely fitting timber ends. Martin demonstrated how to create the approximately 17-degree angle flat cut, ensuring proper water runoff. The workshop provided invaluable hands-on training in traditional Finnish log building techniques crucial for the pioneer sauna restoration.
With the interior gutted and the replacement timbers prepared, the challenging task of raising the sauna walls began in July 2008. Harold and Norm, with occasional help, used 6x6x4 foot timber pieces bolted to the interior walls and hydraulic hand jacks to lift the upper portion of the structure. This ingenious method relieved the weight from the deteriorated lower walls, allowing for the removal of the rotten timbers. The disassembly process revealed Eli Wirtanen’s robust construction methods – timbers were not only dovetailed but also secured with numerous large nails and one-inch diameter pegs, approximately 12-14 inches long, in two central locations of each horizontal timber.
Further dismantling uncovered Eli’s resourceful chinking methods. Harold and Norm removed yards of oakum strips, gunny sacks, and even old “long-handles” (long underwear) that Eli had used to insulate between the timbers, highlighting the pioneer spirit of making do with available materials to enhance the sauna’s heat retention and draft exclusion.
Once the structure was raised, work commenced on removing the lower timbers, starting with the rear wall. This was strategically chosen as it was likely the foundation timber upon which Eli built the rest of the sauna. The front and side walls’ lowest damaged timbers were also removed. Their deteriorated condition meant they crumbled into pieces, sawdust, and debris, often revealing insect nests within.
Trenches were dug beneath the walls and filled with gravel to improve drainage and prevent ground moisture from damaging the new timbers. Green-treated timbers were placed on the gravel foundation to provide a durable, long-lasting base. The upper ends of these treated timbers were carefully mitered to approximately match the angles of the existing timbers, ensuring a seamless integration with Eli’s original structure.
Creating the compound angled dovetail joints on the replacement timbers proved to be a painstaking process. While Eli Wirtanen displayed a remarkable “good eye” for consistent jointing, no two joints were exactly alike. The volunteers’ attempts to replicate his dovetails involved repetitive marking, broad-axe chipping, and draw knife shaping. Each timber often required multiple adjustments – cutting, fitting, and refitting – before achieving an acceptable match to Eli’s original craftsmanship. This meticulous work underscored the dedication to authenticity in the pioneer sauna restoration.
Exterior work was heavily dependent on weather, and as summer 2008 transitioned into fall, work ceased in October. By the end of the 2008 season, significant progress had been made:
- Interior steam room and dressing room gutted, original elements saved.
- Added materials removed to reveal the original structure.
- Sauna raised using temporary jacking timbers.
- Damaged timbers removed from three sides.
- Drain tile installed around the perimeter.
- Initial timbers replaced, mastering angled and mitered joints.
By the end of August 2009, a major milestone was reached – the final replacement timber, forming the sill of the dressing room window, was installed. However, the interior remained unfinished, and numerous details needed attention. The ambitious goal was to complete the pioneer sauna in time for the Fall Festival Day on September 12, 2009.
Green-treated 4x4s were used as interior joists under the steam room floor, attached to the treated foundation timbers. Planks milled from the original Norway pines by John Latola formed the floors of both rooms. Green-treated 2x4s supported the dressing room floorboards. Eli’s original seating benches and bucket shelves were reinstalled in the steam room, with new supports replacing the water-damaged originals. The dressing room bench and small door shelf, also original, were returned to their places.
The sauna’s exterior was treated with a water-based borax soap mix to prevent insect damage. After final exterior work, a commercial wood treatment was sprayed to further protect both the original and replacement timbers from weather damage. The team anticipated the new timbers would naturally weather to a gray tone within a couple of years, blending seamlessly with Eli Wirtanen’s original construction.
Harold Johnson expertly fabricated the replacement sauna stove in his home garage. Constructed from 3/16th and 1/4 inch plate steel, the stove weighed approximately 100 pounds, measuring 28 inches square and 19 inches tall. Harold cut 35 1 3/4″ holes in the sides and top to facilitate heat and smoke circulation around the rocks piled on and around the stove. A welded shelf on one side provided radiant heating for a water tub.
Volunteer hours were meticulously recorded during the summer of 2009, totaling 211 hours. Volunteers including Bob Kochendorfer, Kraig Johnson, Jack Huhta, and Don Maki contributed valuable time and effort. Mickey Nissila played a crucial role in the final push to meet the Fall Festival Day deadline, contributing countless hours, offering valuable suggestions for the floors and benches, framing windows and doors, and delivering and placing the “kiuas” stones. Bradach Lumber of Aurora also generously donated materials to the project.
Thanks to the dedication and skill of Norm Jarva, Harold Johnson, and the numerous volunteers, the pioneer sauna at the Wirtanen Pioneer Farm was successfully restored, preserving a vital piece of Finnish-American history and ensuring its continued use and appreciation for years to come.
