MySource:Sharonlemley51/"Churches in Land," database, Landingslaget i Amerika

Churches in Land

Nordre Land

   * Nordsinni - 1878 (see photo)
     Nordsinni Church, a "cross church," was built in 1758 and was moved down into the valley from what is the current location of Hogne Chapel in 1898. The first reference to Hogne/Nordsinni Church was from 1311 to 1317. Through the years, there are various spellings for Hogne, including Haunar, Hougner and Haugner. The church in Østsinni became the main church for Nordre Land when the Lands parishes were divided in 1866.
   * Lunde - 1767 (see photo)
     Lunde Church, a "cross church," was built in 1767 and replaced the Ny Gård Church. It was built of logs and has a cupola rather than a tower with a steeple. As with all churches of that time, it had a man's side and a women's side. Until the restoration in the 1950s, the farms had their own pew with doors into each one.
   * Åmodt - 1823 (see photo)
     Åmodt Church, a building with eight sides, stands on the Åmodt farm in Nord-Torpa. This church is the farthest north of the Land churches. The church was first painted red on the outside. In 1877 it was paneled on the outside and painted white, as it appears today.
   * Austsinni/Østsinni - 1877 (see photo)
     Østsinni Church is located a short distance northeast of Dokka. It was built in 1877 to replace an older church. Some of the timber from the old church was used in the new, no doubt some 700-800 years old at that time. Gaarder Church (sometimes confused with Gaarder Church in Vest-Torpa) is mentioned in written sources from 1337. This church has been known as Østsinni Church for the last 100 years. Upon the division of the combined parishes in 1866, Østsinni became the head church for Nordre Land.
   * Hogne - 1950 (see photo)
     Hogne Chapel is located high in the Dæhli community in upper Nordsinni. Nordsinni Church stood here from about 1300 until it was moved to its present location in the 1890s. In 1935 permission to build this chapel was received. Hogne Chapel was dedicated on September 25, 1950.
   * Kinn - 1956 (see photo)
     Kinn Church, a "long church," was dedicated in 1956. The first records of Kinn Church are from 1337. This original church of the middle ages was probably a small four-sided stave church and was one of the annex churches (chapels) under Ringsaker Church. In 1817 the old church was dismantled and it is thought that the old church stood on what is now the parking lot.
   * Vølstad Kapell - 1959 (see photo)
     Far up in Østsinni stands Vølstad Chapel, a "long church." According to old community legends, this is the oldest church location in the parish, and the land around the church was perhaps the first settled area in Østsinni. It is here that the foundation of the early Volstad Church remains, believed to date to the time of the introduction of Christianity.

Søndre Land

   * Fluberg - 1699 (see photo)
     Fluberg Church is the oldest existing church in Land. It is also very important in that this was the main church for Nordre and Søndre Land right up until 1866. The present church was built of logs in 1703. It is not known what the name "Fluberg" means, and very little is known of the history from the first 100 years of this church. It is known that the first church at Fluberg was a small stave church and was built close to the lake: Randsfjorden. Fluberg was first mentioned in 1330. The first church must have been finished before 1200.
   * Hov - 1781 (see photo)
     Hov Church stands in the center of the village of Hov, the administrative center for Søndre Land. This church was built in 1781, an extensive restoration completed in 1981. Hov Church is built where it is because this was a place of worship for the pagan gods ("Hov" meaning God's house). The Christian church deliberately took over this place to show which religion had won. A church is mentioned at Hov in the 1300s.
   * Enger - 1875 (see photo)
     Enger Church, a "long church," is located the farthest south of the Land churches. Building plans began in 1870 and the church was complete five years later. The church has been remodeled since it was first built, and was rededicated in 1952.
   * Skute - 1915 (see photo)
     Skute Church, a "long church," was built in 1915. This frame-work building, on the west side of the Randsfjorden, was designed to show some of the features of a traditional "stavkirke" (stave church). At Hol in Hallingdal there is a church of the same type as Skute Church--the only difference being that Skute Church has a higher steeple.
   * Landsbygda Kapel - 1965 (see photo)
     Built in 1965, Landåsbygda Chapel is the newest church building in Søndre Land. The altar painting dates from before 1700 and originally hung in the first Fluberg Church. There has never been a church here before the present one. The architect of this chapel, Per Nordan, also designed Vølstad chapel in Østsinni.