Aðalstræti 10

Aðalstræti 10 is the oldest surviving house in central Reykjavik, built in 1762 on the street that was once the core of the settlement. It was constructed as part of the Innréttingar, the wool-working enterprise founded in the 1750s by Skúli Magnússon, the royal sheriff often called the father of Reykjavik. The Innréttingar set up workshops for spinning, weaving, dyeing, and tanning in what was then a cluster of farms, and many historians treat the venture as the origin of Reykjavik's growth into a town; Danish trading privileges were confirmed for the town in 1786. The building is a timber-framed house clad in wood and finished in a simple, symmetrical Danish colonial style, with a steep roof and small paned windows, typical of 18th-century buildings in the Danish realm. Over the centuries it served several purposes, among them a residence and a bishop's home, and it later housed a shop and other commercial uses before being restored. Restoration work in the 20th century preserved its main timber structure and its historic appearance, and the house now stands as one of very few buildings predating the great wave of 19th-century construction in the capital. Because the interior is used for temporary exhibitions and events rather than a permanent display, the exterior is the main attraction for most visitors, and the facade can be seen at any hour from the street. The house sits only a short walk from the Settlement Exhibition at Aðalstræti 16, which makes the two a natural pairing for anyone tracing Reykjavik's development from Viking Age farm to Danish-era trading town. The surrounding streets, including Aðalstræti, Túngata, and the Austurvöllur square, give further context to how the town expanded from this early nucleus. The house is managed in connection with the Reykjavik City Museum (Borgarsögusafn), which publishes information on current openings.