No. 641
Frame and plank buildings have become a rarity in the Canton of Zurich, although this mode of construction with its archaic appearance dominated the architecture of north-east Switzerland until the late 17th century. This example is from the Töss Valley (“Töss-tal”), where most of the original frame and plank buildings are now covered with masonry walls or shingled.

While the Thirty Years War was raging in Germany, farmers in the neighbouring regions profited from the shortage of cereals that prevailed there. Even in the rainy pre-alpine region, farmers went over to intensive cereal growing and exported their products to southern Germany. This field farmer’s house is interesting because it bears witness to a period when field farming flourished in the upper part of the Töss Valley. It was probably built in 1690 by the Ruppers, a rich family of the officer class.
The ground plan and design of this multi-purpose house clearly conform to the individual functions it had to perform. The working section is divided into a stable with hayloft and a threshing floor. The pigsty constructed from sandstone slabs at the back of the house dates from the early 19th century.

The grain storehouse from Lindau/Tagelswangen ZH (No. 642) is situated behind the farmhouse. The main part of the storehouse is from the year 1534. The first extension was carried out in 1661. In the same year another similar building was erected, not just beside the original, but also connected to it.