Michelsen Farmstead, Provincial historic farmstead in Stirling, Canada

The Michelsen Farmstead is a 1 1/2-story Victorian farmhouse at the corner of 2nd Avenue and 6th Street in Stirling, Alberta. Andreas Michelsen built it as a two-room house in 1902; carpenter George Oler added the rooms that brought it to seven in 1912. A wraparound porch fronts the house, and the grounds hold a barn, granary, calving shed, coal shed, machine shed, storage cellar, corrals, pens, an outhouse, a dugout, a cistern with filter, and a garden.

Andreas Michelsen built the original two-room house in 1902, which was expanded to seven rooms in 1912. This expanded structure has remained intact to the present day and preserves the story of early settlement.

The property served as a gathering space where the Michelsen family hosted regular dances featuring local musicians. These events shaped the social life of the surrounding community.

The site is easy to explore on foot with all buildings visible from outside. It is helpful to plan your visit during operating hours and wear comfortable shoes for walking around the grounds.

The Michelsen boys were the preferred "bad guys" in the Cops and Robbers games played in the hayloft, and one neighbour predicted a dark future for them. Glen Michelsen instead became the first Stirling native to join the RCMP, and two of his three brothers followed him into law enforcement.