seemingly old-fashion, the façade of number 39-41 had both a cornice and channelled rustication until 1967, presumably similar to that of n.26, while the portal and doors are from the late 19th century. like most of the blocks on this side of the street, this one is standing on land fillings containing historical layers stretching down more than 15 metres, the sliding and compression of which have resulted in the buildings sinking with about 0.5 metres per century, and the 6– to 8-metre-long piling from the 15th century leaning some 20 degrees towards the waterfront. archaeological excavations in this block have documented the remains of human structures from the late 13th century, while the oldest settlements appears in historical records in 1420. these building flanked an alley passing through the block down to a landing bridge by the water. during the late 15th century a second city wall in wood was built here, during the 1580s replaced by a more permanent wall in stone. no later than 1499, sten sture the elder transferred the lot now forming the southern part of the façade to the order of saint john, which had a church built here, inaugurated in 1514, and demolished in 1530 following the reformation. a wall from and the graveyard of this church was rediscovered under the alley johannesgränd passing south of the block; king gustav vasa is known to have looted the graveyard to assemble raw material to produce saltpetre used for gunpowder, a deed commented: "not christian is thus shoot one's forefathers in the air" ("ej är kristeligt i väder så skjuta sina förfäder").