Danish-styled Solvang, California Danish-styled Solvang, California Location in Santa Barbara County and the state of California Location in Santa Barbara County and the state of California Solvang (/ s lv e/; Danish pronunciation: [ so l e ]; Danish for "sunny field") is a town/city in Santa Barbara County, California.
Solvang was incorporated as a town/city on May 1, 1985. Solvang was established in 1911 on almost 9,000 acres (3,600 ha) of the Rancho San Carlos de Jonata Mexican territory grant, by a group of Danes who traveled west to establish a Danish colony far from the midwestern winters.
Mission Santa Ines, one of the California missions (National Historic Landmark), is positioned near the center of the town, at the junction of State Route 246 and Alisal Road.
Solvang is positioned at 34 35 38 N 120 8 23 W. At an altitude of 505 ft (154 m), it lies in the Santa Ynez Valley some 46 miles (74 km) north-west of Santa Barbara and about 15 miles (24 km) north of the Pacific coast.
Mission Santa Ines in Solvang The Santa Ynez Valley, in which Solvang lies, was originally inhabited by the Chumash, identified by Father Pedro Font, chaplain of the 1776 Anza Expedition, as an ingenious and industrious citizens .
As part of the expansion of the mission fitness established in California by Spanish missionaries, Father Estevan Tapis established Mission Santa Ines, now positioned near the center of Solvang, in order to relieve overcrowding at Mission Santa Barbara and Mission La Purisima Concepcion since it was positioned midway between the two.
After the Mexican War of Independence, the Mexican Assembly passed the Secularization Laws which confiscated Mission lands, along with other property, and transferred them to the control of small-town ranchers, with Solvang being later established on what became known as the Rancho San Carlos de Jonata.
Folk schools were established in Elk Horn, Iowa (1878 1899); Grant, Michigan (1882 1888); Nysted, Nebraska (1887 1934); Tyler, Minnesota (1888 1935); and Kenmare, North Dakota (1902 1916); and finally in Solvang (1911 1931). After graduating in theology in 1898, he was soon tempted to travel to the United States, where he began coordinating relations between Danish Lutheran churches in Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine.
Hornsyld, a lecturer at Grand View, had discussed the possibility of creating a new Danish colony with a dedicated Lutheran church and school on the west coast. In 1910, together with other Danish-Americans, they created the Danish-American Colony Company in San Francisco.
Later that year, suitable territory was found in the Santa Ynez Valley northwest of Santa Barbara.
Skytt was to play an meaningful part as the carpenter, who constructed many of Solvang's early buildings. The first to be constructed was a hotel close to the Mission where new arrivals could be homed.
The shareholders persuaded Gregersen to give up his position as Solvang's pastor and travel to Iowa and Nebraska to convince Danish immigrants to buy territory in the new colony.
Nordentoft was not content with the little folk school in Solvang.
Nordentoft, who felt he had accomplished his ambitions in America, sold the college to the congregation of the Solvang Lutheran church in 1921 for $5,000 and returned to Denmark with his wife and family. Atterdag College continued to be used as a folk school, a improve meeting hall, a performing arts venue, a gymnastics center, a summer school, and a boarding home until it was finally completed in 1970, making way for the Solvang Lutheran Home. Solidly constructed in ferro-concrete with walls a foot thick, it was based on a photograph of a Gothic-styled Danish church and resembles one of the hundreds of non-urban churches in Denmark which were assembled or restyled in the 14th century. Its interior contains hand-carved woodwork on the altar, pulpit and altar rail. Services used to be mainly in Danish but apart from a Christmas service in Danish on lillejuleaften (December 23) each year, all the other services are in English. The Lutheran church was the first to be based on Danish architecture and bears a close relationship to Danish equivalents.
A little later, Earl Petersen, a small-town architect, gave the older buildings a new look, adding facades in so-called "Danish Provincial" style. Buildings in the half-timbered style of Danish non-urban homes proliferated, creating a new tourist attraction. While much was done to problematic an "authentic" Danish atmosphere in the town center, it has been pointed out by Scandinavians that fake thatched roofs and artificial timbering are largely a result of small-town interests in general clean water those of the Danish immigrants themselves.
The older buildings have simply been restyled to look Danish even if there was nothing Danish about them originally. Thanks in large part to its unique half-timbered architecture, Solvang has turn into a primary California tourist attraction, with over one million visitors per year. Tourists were initially thriving to Solvang by the visit of Denmark's Prince Frederik in 1939. But it was in 1947, following a feature article in the Saturday Evening Post, that they began to flock to the town.
In particular, today's visitors appreciate the Danish windmills, the statues of Hans Christian Andersen and the Little Mermaid, the half-timbered homes, the Danish non-urban church, the Round Tower as well as Danish music and folk dancing.
In addition, a several restaurants and pastry shops serve Danish specialities. A replica of a 19th-century Danish streetcar, the horse-drawn Honen ("the hen"), takes visitors on sightseeing tours around downtown Solvang. Partly as a result of the 2004 film Sideways, which was set in the encircling Santa Ynez Valley, the number of wine-related businesses in Solvang has increased appreciably, attracting oenophiles to the downtown area. Imitation Danish costumes on sale in Solvang Since 1936, Solvang has jubilated Danish folk traditions at its annual "Danish Days" event, usually held amid the third weekend in September.
A Danish Days breakfast on Sunday morning features medisterpolser, a spiced pork sausage recipe of Danish origins, and bleskiver. On April 7, 1939, Danish Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Ingrid visited Solvang; at the time, a large number of the town's 400 inhabitants were Danish immigrants.
On June 5, 1960, Princess Margrethe of Denmark paid a visit which encompassed a reception at Palacio del Rio, lunch at Bethania Church and a tour of downtown Solvang.
After a formal luncheon in the Parish Hall, the couple visited Bethania Church and the Solvang Lutheran Home before greeting inhabitants on Copenhagen Drive.
Shortly after her visit, the queen awarded Solvang developer Ferdinand Sorensen the Order of the Dannebrog for strengthening ties between the United States and Denmark. Mr Petersen took a walking tour of downtown Solvang and visited the Mission.
Among the highlights were the Tour of California Time Trial on Friday, May 20 and the visit of the Aalborg Police Band for Danish Days amid the weekend of September 16 to 18. Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark, visited Solvang on June 11 which also happened to be his own 77th birthday.
He was accompanied by the Danish ambassador, Peter Taksoe-Jensen, and Torsten Jansen, the cultural counselor at the Danish Embassy in Washington. The prince helped dedicate Solvang's Centennial Plaza, unveiling two bricks bearing the Danish royal monogram.
The Chumash Casino Resort is positioned some 5 miles (8.0 km) to the east of Solvang in the Santa Ynez Indian Reservation near Santa Ynez.
Solvang is a prominent destination for bicyclists, and has been featured as a race locale on the Tour of California.
Two annual amateur bicycling affairs are held in Solvang: the Solvang Century (held in March) and the Solvang Prelude (held in November). Solvang is home to two exhibitions devoted to Danish culture and to one presenting vintage motorcycles: The Elverhoj Museum, homed in the former residence of artist Viggo Brandt-Erichsen, is devoted to preserving the Danish tradition of Solvang with its Danish-American pioneer spirit.
After extensive renovation, the exhibition opened to the enhance in May 1988. The cottage in the garden homes a diorama of scale models depicting Solvang in the 1920s. From January to April 2011, the exhibition was hosting an exhibition entitled "Spirit of Solvang" consisting of a series of old black-and-white photographs of the village enhanced by small-town resident Paul Roark. State Route 246 runs through Solvang as Mission Drive, connecting Buellton and U.S.
Although most of Solvang's visitors arrive by car, there are three bus connections per day for those arriving at Santa Barbara by rail. The Santa Ynez Valley bus service joins Buellton, Solvang, Santa Ynez, and Los Olivos.
The Clean Air Express now joins Solvang and Buellton to Goleta and Santa Barbara. The 2010 United States Enumeration reported that Solvang had a populace of 5,245.
The ethnic makeup of Solvang was 4,326 (82.5%) White, 38 (0.7%) African American, 59 (1.1%) Native American, 72 (1.4%) Asian, 1 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 611 (11.6%) from other competitions, and 138 (2.6%) from two or more competitions.
The populace was spread out with 1,094 citizens (20.9%) under the age of 18, 384 citizens (7.3%) aged 18 to 24, 1,142 citizens (21.8%) aged 25 to 44, 1,530 citizens (29.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,095 citizens (20.9%) who were 65 years of age or older.
According to Solvang's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the town/city were: 2 Solvang Lutheran Home 125 8 Solvang School 54 9 City of Solvang 35 The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office has a sub station in Solvang, while the Solvang Volunteer Fire Department was disbanded in April 2007 and replaced with a contract from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
Parts of the horror film The Unseen (1980) were filmed in Solvang along or near Mission Drive, with particular use made of the Bit O' Denmark Restaurant and the Solvang Gardens Lodge, which was known as the Solvang Gaard Lodge at the time of recording.
The Tour of California cycle race has had time trial stages in Solvang on four occasions; 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011. In "Rumspringa" season 6, ep 7 of New Girl, Jessica, Nick and Schmidt go to Solvang and experience the small-town delights.
Solvang is the featured town/city in the hour-long 2002 Episode #113 of Road Trip With Huell Howser.
In season 3 episode "Christmas Joy" of the TV show Psych Solvang's Danish Village is featured as the scene of the crime, portrayed as Solvang Santa's Village.
Bart has a telephone conversation with a switchboard operator in Solvang, and a wooden "Solvang Air" airliner, whose fuselage resembles buildings in the town, is shown landing at Springfield Airport.
Uncle Zack's overwhelming pride in his Danish tradition also reflects Solvang's history from its beginning by Danish people.
Danish architecture in Solvang.
A Danish bakery in Solvang City of Solvang.
"Solvang (city) Quick - Facts".
"Official Monthly and Yearly Rainfall Record, Solvang City Water District", Santa Barbara County - Flood Control District.
"Mission History", Old Mission Santa Ines.
Danish Americans - History, Modern era., Everyculture.com Retrieved July 12, 2010.
(Danish) Retrieved July 12, 2010.
Pat Murphy, "Remember When?", Santa Ynez Valley Guest Magazine, Spring 2004.
William Etling, "Danish Days in Solvang", News from Santa Ynez.
Sally Cappon, "Picturesque church honors traditions", Santa Ynez Valley News.
Poul Husted, "Er Solvang Danmark eller Disney?", Turen gar til.
(Danish) Retrieved September 13, 2010.
David and Marlere Macbeth, "Solvang Danish-Inspired".
Anders Linde-Laursen, "Solvang: A Historical Anthropological Illumination of an Ethnicized Space", Positionen 1998.
"About Solvang", Solvang and the Santa Ynez Valley.
"Solvang Trolley CO".
Allyssa Lee, "Famous Movie Locations:My Moms Houseee, The 'Sideways' Tour (Santa Ynez Valley, CA)", Inside Movies.
"Solvang Wine", In Town Live.
"Danish Days filled with fun and history", Santa Ynez Valley News.
Sherrie Petersen, "Theater Under the Stars", Santa Ynez Valley Guest.
"A Theater", Solvang Theaterfest.
"Danish ambassador makes stop in Solvang", Santa Barbara News Press, July 12, 2010.
"Solvang Centennial Calendar 2011", Solvang - USA.com.
"Solvang Centennial 2011 Calendar", Solvang Centennial.
Dave Bernis, "Solvang welcomes Danish royalty", Santa Maria Times, June 12, 2011.
"Economic Impact of the Chumash Casino Resort on the County of Santa Barbara", Report prepared by The California Economic Forecast.
"Santa Ynez Reservation".
"Solvang: A World-Class Cycling Mecca", Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau.
Sherrie Petersen, "Museums in the Santa Ynez Valley", Orato, June 9, 2009.
"Spirit of Solvang" Exhibit 9 January 10 April", Elverhoj Museum of Art and History.
"Solvang Vintage Motorcycle Museum".
"Santa Ynez Airport".
"2010 Enumeration Interactive Population Search: CA - Solvang city".
City of Solvang CAFR Finn-Olaf Jones, "The Danish Soul of That Town in 'Sideways'", New York Times, June 4, 2006.
Tour of California Solvang Bethania Evangelical Lutheran Church, Our First 75 Years 1912 1987, Solvang, 1987.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Solvang, California.
Municipalities and communities of Santa Barbara County, California, United States Buellton Carpinteria Goleta Guadalupe Lompoc Santa Barbara Santa Maria Solvang Ballard Casmalia Cuyama Garey Isla Vista Los Alamos Los Olivos Mission Canyon Mission Hills Montecito New Cuyama Orcutt Santa Ynez Sisquoc Summerland Toro Canyon Vandenberg AFB Vandenberg Village
Categories:
Solvang, California - 1911 establishments in California - 1985 establishments in California - Cities in Santa Barbara County, California - Danish-American culture in California - Danish migration to North America - History of Santa Barbara County, California - Incorporated metros/cities and suburbs in California - Populated places established in 1911 - Populated places established in 1985 - Tourist attractions in Santa Barbara County, California
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