Nyhavn 8

Nyhavn 8 is an 18th-century property overlooking the Nyhavn canal i central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was listed in the Danish registry of protected buildings and places in 1918. A sandstone tablet with inscription above the arched main entrance commemorates a time when Dragør skippers used to stay in the building during the winter months.

Early history
The site was originally part of Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve's large property at the corner of Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn. In Copenhagen's first cadastre from 1689 it was listed as No. 54 in St. Ann's East Quarter. The property was later ceded to dowager queen Charlotte Amalie. A narrow strip of land along the canal, from Charlottenborg to Møntgade (now part of Holbergsgade), was used for the construction of a row of very small, identical houses for low-ranking official at the dowager queen's court. The houses were given numbers from 3 to 21.

House No. 6 (now Nyhavn 8) was listed in the new cadastre of 1756 as No. 278 in St. Ann's East Quarter.

In February 1771, it was decided to sell the house at auction. The plan was to have them replaced by taller buildings more suitable for a location that close to Kongens Nytorv.By deed of 2 August 1771, No. 6 was sold for 234 eigsdaler to Andreas Buntzen. On 28 August, he sold it for 500 rigsdaler to harbour master and beer seller (øltapper) Niels Holst. The present building on the site was constructed for him in 1774–76, The building was used as a hostel for sailors. It was particularly popular with the Dragør skippers who stayed in Copenhagen during the winter months. Dragør was at one point the town in Denmark with the second-largest home fleet. During the winter months, its small harbour did not have room for all the ships and many of them were therefore based at Copenhagen. The skippers tended to stay in the hostels on the south side of Nyhavn.

19th century
In the new cadastre of 1806, the properties along the south side of Nyhavn were transferred from St. Ann's East Quarter (Sankt Annæ Øster Kvarter) to Eastern Quarter (Øster Kvarter). The old No. 289 was now listed as No. 274 in Eastern Quarter. It belonged to one Rasmus Kock at that time. The owner may have been Rasmus Christensen Kock, a manufacturer of ship sails, flags and compasses, who resided at Nyhavn 33 (then St. Ann's East Quarter No. 17).

The property belonged to the widow E. Brandt in the 1840s. In 1846, she had it heightened with one storey.

The property was home to 45 residents at the 1880 census. Frederik Christian Mellerup, a barkeeper, resided on the ground floor with his wife Ane Margrethe Mellerup, their two children (aged eight and 11) and four lodgers. Three of the lodgers were sailors. John Carl Christian Thorning, a wallpaperer, resided on the first floor with his wife Charlotte Julie Thorning, their three children (aged one to 16) and one maid. Theodor Benzen, a grocer (urtekræmmer), resided on the second floor with his wife Augusta Benzen, their two children (aged 11 and 12) and one maid. Edel Benedicte Hornemann (née Juhl, 1827–1903), widow of the medical doctor in Hjørring Frees Jacob Horneman (1814–1877), resided on the third floor with her two youngest daughters. Andreas Benjamin Svendsen, a shoemaker, resided in the basement with his wife Anna Ziegentuss Svendsen, their two children (aged zero and two) and two relatives as lodgers. Niels Christian Svendsen, a cook at a steam ship, resided on the ground floor of the side wing with his wife Ane Marie Svendsen and their infant son. Hans Jeppesen, a workman, resided on the ground floor of the side wing with his wife Jette Jeppesen and their two children (aged nine and 12). Anna Marie Cathrine Frederikke Hansen and Henriette Sophie Hansen, two tailors, resided on the first floor of the side wing with a 50-year-old make photographer named Hansen (first name unreadable).

20th century
In 1909, No. 284 was merged with No. 276. In 1917, it was again separated from that property as No. 429. The building was listed in the Danish registry of protected buildings and places in 1918.

The building was refurbished in the early 1990s. The renovation received a diploma from the city in 1993.

As of 2008, Nyhavn 8 belonged to Elisabeth Henriette Lassen (née Danneskiold-Samsøem 1824–2018). She was the former owner of Holmegård at Næstved and Brattingborg on Samsø. Her late husband, Frants Axel Lassen, a brother of Anders Lassen, owned Juellinge.

Architecture
The building is constructed in red brick with four storeys over a walk-out basement. The fourth floor was as already mentioned added in 1846. The five bays wide facade features a belt course above the ground floor, an embedded frieze flanked by two round portrait friezes between the windows of the second and third floors and a white-painted cornice. The frieze features reliefs of a large anchor and a cross as well as a number of women and animal figures. The two portrait reliefs are most likely depictions of Niels Holst. They are themselves flanked by the architectural date "774" ("17"/"74"). The arched main entrance is located in the bay furthest to the left. A sandstone tablet with inscription above the doorway commemorates the time when the building housed the Dragør skippers. The hoååed roof is clad in red tile. The roof ridge is pierced by a chimney.

A seven-bay-long side wing extends from the rear side of the building. The two first bays are inwardly canted to allow for an extra windows towards the yard in the front wing. This short section of the side wing is four stooreys tall. The give remaining bays are only three storeys tall byt topped by a Mansard roof, The facades facing the yard are plastered with iron vitirol.

Today
The building contains a single apartment on each of the four floors. A fifth apartment is cloated in the garret of the front wing.