Eid Church (Kvinnherad)


Eid Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Kvinnherad Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Eidsvik. It is one of the two churches for the Fjelberg og Eid parish which is part of the Sunnhordland prosti in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1824 using designs by an unknown architect. The church seats about 180 people.

History

There has been a church at Eidsvik since the Middle Ages due to its proximity to the Halsnøy Abbey. The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1337, but it was in use long before that time. In 1668, the old stave church was torn down and replaced with a new timber-framed, cruciform building. In 1724, the local parish priest, Erland Michelsen, purchased the church from the Crown. Later, the church was bought by the local parish. In 1824 when it was torn down and a new church was built just a few meters to the east of the previous building's location. The new church was consecrated the same year by the Bishop Jacob Neumann. The present church has been renovated twice: in 1891-1893 and again in 1952–1953.