Meland Church


Meland Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Alver Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Meland on the island of Holsnøy. It is the church for the Meland 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 1866 using designs by the architect Johannes Øvsthus. The church seats about 340 people.

History

There has been a church in Meland for a long time. The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to at least the year 1350, but it was likely built before that time. The original church was a stave church. That church stood about to the southwest of the present church site. THa building was in use until 1616 when it was torn down and replaced by a timber-frame church on the same site. In 1731, the church was sold into private ownership by the King. In 1856, the private owners of the church sold it to the municipality. The municipal government thought the church was too small and in need of repairs, so in 1866, a new church was constructed a short distance to the northeast.

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