Leirfjord Church ( no, Leirfjord kirke) is a

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

of the Church of Norway in Leirfjord Municipality in Nordland county,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

. It is located in the village of Leland. It is the main church for the Leirfjord

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

which is part of the Nord-Helgeland prosti ( deanery) in the

Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland Sør-Hålogaland is a diocese in the Church of Norway. The Diocese covers the Lutheran Church of Norway churches located within Nordland county in Norway. The diocese is headquartered in the town of Bodø at Bodø Cathedral, the seat of the ...

. The wooden church was built in a

cruciform Cruciform is a term for physical manifestations resembling a common cross or Christian cross. The label can be extended to architectural shapes, biology, art, and design. Cruciform architectural plan Christian churches are commonly describe ...

style in 1867 using plans drawn up by the

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Niels Stockfleth Darre Eckhoff Niels Stockfleth Darre Eckhoff (5 January 1831 – 26 September 1914) was a Norwegian architect. He was born in Throndhjem as the son of Christian Martin Eckhoff and his wife Nicoline Johanne Luytkis. He married Nicoline Otilie Eckhoff in Jul ...

. The church seats about 450 people.

History

The first church in Leirfjord was constructed in 1867 and was consecrated on 27 August 1867. Over time, the movement of the ground due to the frost, contributed to some structural damage. There was also a leak along one of the chimneys. Restoration and repair work was scheduled to begin in 1937, but due to the German occupation in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the work did not begin until 1950 after the war was over. At that time, the building received frost-proofing by extending the foundation deeper below the frost line. New chimneys were constructed outside the walls of the building. The floor was replaced and insulated from underneath in the newly dug out basement. The tower was also in poor condition so it was replaced. This whole renovation cost about .

References

{{use dmy dates, date=April 2021 Leirfjord Churches in Nordland Wooden churches in Norway Cruciform churches in Norway 19th-century Church of Norway church buildings Churches completed in 1867 1867 establishments in Norway

History

See also

References