Kvæfjord Church


Kvæfjord Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Kvæfjord Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located in the village of Borkenes on the island of Hinnøya. It is the main church for the Kvæfjord parish which is part of the Trondenes prosti in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland. The white, wooden, neo-gothic church was built in a long church style in 1867 by the architect Jacob Wilhelm Nordan. The church seats about 550 people. The building was consecrated on 30 July 1867.

History

The first church at Kvæfjord was probably built around the middle of the 13th century. It is not known how many buildings stood on the site over the centuries, but in 1750, the Bishop Frederik Nannestad wrote that the Kvæfjord Church was a red, wooden, cruciform church. A little after 1760, a new church was built on the same site. It was a log church in a cruciform design. That church only lasted about 120 years and then in 1866-1867 it was torn down and replaced with the present church. The cost for the new church was 5,565 speciedaler, 1 ort, and 10 skilling.