Norse Historic District

Brazos Trail Region
(254) 675-3720
Website

Between 1854 and the late 1800s, thousands of Norwegian settlers established the largest Norwegian colony in the southwest, settling in a triangular area northwest of Clifton that became the Norse Historic District. This area, now a recognized historic district, was where these immigrants farmed, built families, and worshipped. Led by Cleng Peerson, the "Father of Norwegian Immigration to America," the Norwegians were drawn by the region's beauty, fertile land, and water, encouraged by state incentives offering free land. Many structures from this time, mostly native limestone buildings, still stand—some in ruins, others beautifully preserved. Among these are historic churches, such as Our Saviors Lutheran Church, founded in 1869, and the 1886-built St. Olaf’s Kirke, known today as the Old Rock Church.

The Norse Historic District also tells the story of key figures like Jens Ringness, whose 1859 homestead became a hub for worship and invention, with his brother Ole's creation of the disk plow revolutionizing agriculture. The Ringness home, now a museum, reflects the legacy of these early settlers. Additionally, the district is home to the Questad House, a prime example of an early Norwegian homestead and the site of a significant local event—the 1867 capture of Norwegian teen Ole Nystel by Comanche Indians. Though much of the original settlement has faded, the history lives on through its remaining landmarks and the memories they preserve, such as the grave of Cleng Peerson, honored by Norway's King Olav V in 1982.

Mapped location of Norse Historic District

Norse Historic District

(254) 675-3720

Directions

Rough boundaries are FM 219 between Clifton and Cranfills Gap on the south, Hwy 22 between Cranfills Gap and Meridian on the west, and Hwy. 6 between Meridian and Clifton on the east.

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