Manorhouses
Maardu
Manor House is the most important among manors within the region. It
was first mentioned in 1397; the heyday of its construction was in
the 1660s when the von Fersens became the owner. Numerous contracts
of sale and deeds of gift demonstrate how the manor has changed
ownership throughout history. At a time it even belonged to the
Empress Catharine I; it is known that Her Highness never visited the
manor, but a local tale is told that Peter I once caroused there in
great abundance. The 18
th–19
th centuries saw
the manor becoming a place where important people from the capital
would go junketing.
In the 20
th century it was used as
school; having been acquired by Eesti Pank (Bank of Estonia), this
dignified building is now re-establishing its original function. A few
kilometres from the Maardu Manor towards east, on the banks of the
Jõelähtme River, there is another manor - the
cattle-rearing manor of Kostivere; its mansion never achieved the
splendour of Maardu since it was merely a dairy farm belonging to the
main manor house. On the other hand, the Kostivere Manor can boast of
having (almost) the largest number of auxiliary buildings among all
the manors in Harju County.
