Kvelde Church (Norwegian: Kvelde kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Larvik Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the village of Kvelde. It is the church for the Kvelde parish which is part of the Larvik prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Tunsberg. The white, wooden church was built in a long church design in 1871 using plans drawn up by the architect Jacob Wilhelm Nordan. The church seats about 250 people.[1][2]

Kvelde Church
Kvelde kirke
View of the church
Map
59°11′50″N 9°58′04″E / 59.197085°N 9.9676868°E / 59.197085; 9.9676868
LocationLarvik Municipality,
Vestfold
CountryNorway
DenominationChurch of Norway
Previous denominationCatholic Church
ChurchmanshipEvangelical Lutheran
History
StatusParish church
Founded13th century
Consecrated11 Oct 1871
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s)J.W. Nordan
Architectural typeLong church
Completed1871 (153 years ago) (1871)
Specifications
Capacity250
MaterialsWood
Administration
DioceseTunsberg
DeaneryLarvik prosti
ParishKvelde
TypeChurch
StatusNot protected
ID84859

History

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The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1398, but the church was not built that year. The first church at Kvelde was a wooden stave church that was located along the shore of the river Numedalslågen, about 260 metres (850 ft) to the north of the present site of the church. That church was likely built during the 13th century, but there is very little known about the building. In 1617, the old church was torn down and replaced with a new building. By the 19th century, the building was too small for the parish and it was no longer structurally sound (likely due to the close proximity of the building to the river banks). It was then decided to build a new church building a short distance away from the river, about 260 metres (850 ft) to the south. The new building was designed by Jacob Wilhelm Nordan and it was built using logs donated by local farmers. The church was consecrated on 11 October 1871. The old church was torn down. The new church was a long church with a nave, chancel, and a small sacristy on the south side of the chancel. In 1930, a new sacristy was built on the north side of the chancel.[3][4][5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Kvelde kirke". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Kvelde gamle kirkested" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Kvelde kirkested / Kvelde kirke 3" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Kvelde kirke". Norges-Kirker.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 24 October 2023.