The history of Moisio manor begins from the 17th century. It was originally part of the Wrede family manor. In 1605 Henrik Wrede had saved the life of Carl IX, the King of Sweden, in a battle by giving him a horse. Wrede himself was killed, but Carl IX donated a large land property to his family after the war. Wrede family owned Moisio 150 years.
Moisio was acquired by the Forselles family in 1767 and Fredrik Juhan Ulrik af Forselles decied to build a new main building. The present mansion was designed by famous architect C.L. Engel in 1818. The building, which represents early empire style architecture, was built in 1820.
In 1907 Moisio manor was acquired by the municipality of Elimäki. The main building functioned as a retirement home for 60 years. In 1997 it was moved again to the private use and today there are art exhibitions held around the year. The ground floor serves as a restaurant and a café, the upper floor has been dedicated to art.
House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.