There is good reason to say that Frolands Verk is the natural place to convey in a concentrated form what is perhaps an under-communicated Norwegian piece of world history: the construction of the "electric arc furnace" in 1905, which made it possible to produce artificial fertilizer.

This technological breakthrough occurred at the Vassmoen experimental station in Evenstad in Froland, and was a prerequisite for the establishment of Norsk Hydro – and the industrial development in Rjukan and Notodden, which now have world heritage status.

The backdrop was global famine. The world was unable to increase food production in line with population growth. It is almost surreal that little Froland would become the arena for events that helped turn the situation around. A circle of strong and competent people, all connected to Arendal, made up the gallery of personalities in the Norwegian initiative: Engineer and industrial builder Sam Eyde, physics professor Kristian Birkeland, statesman and business leader Gunnar Knudsen, and power pioneer Ragnvald Blakstad.

It was about finding a process to extract nitrogen from the air to create artificial fertilizer. After some unsuccessful attempts in Kristiania, the experimental activities were moved to Vassmoen where Evenstad power station could supply sufficient energy. It was an international race, and it is one of the greatest triumphs in Norwegian industrial history that Norway won.

The Vassmoen experimental station is gone, and there are no artifacts from the activity there. A few photos are the only thing that concretely shows us the facility and what was going on. But the events and developments are well documented. It is part of local history, and at the same time world history. With its close location to Vassmoen, Frolands Verk is a good location for an extended museum presentation of what happened there around 1905.