Gwon Hui-mun Historic House

About this place

This is a late Joseon-period manor house in Osan-ri, Sanseo-myeon. According to family records, the 10th-generation ancestor of the current owner settled in Osan-ri along with his clan to escape the political purges of King Gwanghae's reign. According to the ridge beam inscription, the inner quarters (anchae) were built in 1866 and the men's quarters (sarangchae) in 1733 (the 49th year of King Yeongjo). The sarangchae was renovated in 1875 and was moved from another site after the anchae was built. Before a gate house was added in 1973, the western gate in front of the sarangchae's garden served as the main entrance, but a new gate house was built separately because the passage was too narrow for carts and the direction of the gate was considered inauspicious. Unlike typical old houses where the sarangchae is the center, the anchae is the heart of this residence. Rather than the straight single-file layout common to Jeolla Province houses, the anchae is L-shaped, and its front pillars are round while those of the sarangchae are square — all emphasizing the anchae's central role. In addition to the anchae and sarangchae, a west wing, lower wing, gate house, and outer wing are appropriately arranged. Although other buildings have been much modified, the anchae and sarangchae retain almost their original form, offering a glimpse into the architecture of upper-class residences of the late Joseon period.