Historical buildings
At the end of the 1880s, there is a growth in the number of of summer guesthouses here by forest and lake, due to the proximity of Silkeborg Vandkuranstalt. The ever increasing success of the helth spa caused the need for more beds. At these summer guesthouses, people could live cheaper than at the helth spa, while at the same time they could participate in the spa treatment facilities.
Guesthouses
The oldest guesthouses are Villa Solbakken (Kroghsvej 50), built in 1888. The next is Villa Augusta from 1895 (from 1924 called Aggerholm), which in addition to the guesthouse was summer restaurant, as the owner was for many years previously tenant at the restaurant of the Spa. In addition, there were three other guesthouses: Trouville (Kroghsvej 20), established in 1900. Skovlyst (Kroghsvej 22), which was built in 1904. Ørnsø guesthouse, on Gjessøvej, just after Kroghsvej, was established by the owner of Ørnsø Teglværk.
In 1919 two room wings were built for the helth spa, after which the spa itself could cover the need for accommodation. The heyday of the summer guesthouses seems to be over during the 1920s.
Market gardens
After that, the land and buildings were in most cases taken over by market gardeners who built large greenhouse plants. The horticultural operations in the area continued until around 1960, after which the land was parceled out into detached houses.
Community Home
From 1934 to 1941, Ørnsø boarding house’s buildings became a community home belonging to Kornmod School, where pupils from school could live - first under the name "Kornmod Ørnsø" and later renamed "The Community Home Ørnsø". During the German occupation of Denmark during World War 2 it was seized by Germans and in 1949 it was adapted to recreation and resting home with up to 30 residents. Ørnsø Nursing Home is last mentioned in Silkeborg Directory 1984.
Ørnsø Brickworks and Ørnsø Sawmill
In the former mayor Drechel's book about Silkeborg from 1880, Ørnsø Brickworks is mentioned - as a rather extensive complex. It has thus been a reality before the establishment of the helth spa in 1883. It seems that the brickworks expanded when spa came. As mentioned above, the bricklayer established a guesthouse.
In 1901, the owner Christian Christiansen had to abandon the brickwork "when the clay began to come to an end and the quality of the stones became too bad." Ørnsø sawmill was started on May 21, 1910, and existed according to the phone directory until approx. 1960.