Seim Church


Seim Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Alver Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Seim. It is one of the four churches for the Knarvik parish which is part of the Nordhordland prosti in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1878 using designs by the architect Johannes Øvsthus from Hosanger. The church seats about 180 people.

History

The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1360, but it was likely built before that time. The first church was likely a stave church and it was located about southeast of the present location of the church. This medeival building was torn down around the year 1610 and replaced by a new timber-framed building on the same location. An alternate theory is that in 1610, the old stave church was renovated and expanded in 1610, since the new building was about twice as large. The old church may have been renovated into the choir and sacristy with the addition becoming the new nave.
Seim belonged to the parish of Hammer before 1749. In that year, it was separated from Hammer and transferred to Hosanger parish. In 1885, Seim was transferred from Hosanger to Alversund parish.
In 1839, the church building was damaged in a storm. It was repaired.
In the 1870s, it was decided to build a new, larger church a little closer to the village of Seim, about to the northwest. The new church was the third building to hold the name Seim church and it was completed in 1878. The new building was consecrated on 16 July 1878. Sometime after the new church was completed, the old church was torn down.
In 1964, the church was transferred to the Lindås parish.

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