Gwon Huimun House

This is a late Joseon period old house located in Osan-ri, Sanseo-myeon. It was built when the 10th-generation ancestor of the current owner, Suyu-ju, fled the persecution of Gwanghaegun and settled in Osan-ri with his family. According to the ridge beam inscription, the inner quarters (anchae) were built in 1866, and the men's quarters (sarangchae) were built in the 49th year of King Yeongjo (1733). The sarangchae was renovated in 1875, having been moved from another location after the anchae was built. Before the gate quarters (munganchae) were built in 1973, the west gate in front of the sarangchae garden served as the main gate, but it was narrow and difficult for carriages to pass through, and the direction of the gate was considered inauspicious, so a separate munganchae was built. Generally, the center of an old house is the sarangchae, but in this house, the anchae is the center. Unlike the typical linear (一-shaped) structure of houses in Jeolla Province, this house has an L-shaped (ㄱ-shaped) structure, and the front pillars of the anchae are round while those of the sarangchae are square, which also indicates that the anchae is the center of the house. In addition to the anchae and sarangchae, the west wing (seojjokchae), lower wing (araechae), gate quarters (munganchae), and outer wing (bakkatchae) are appropriately arranged. The anchae, sarangchae, and seojjokchae remain almost in their original form, but the other buildings have been significantly altered. The munganchae has been stacked with blocks and turned into a storage room, and the bakkatchae is used as a barn, storage, and bathroom. The araechae houses livestock facilities such as a pigsty and barn, and one side of the sarangchae has a fodder shed.

Although many parts of Gwon Huimun House have been changed and remodeled, the anchae and sarangchae have largely preserved their original appearance, allowing a glimpse into the characteristics of an upper-class residence from the late Joseon period.