ØYER CHURCH

The church from southwest

Øyer Church was consecrated on July 2nd 1725 and got the name "The Temple of the Holy Trinity". The old church at Orrestad, a wooden church in stave-technique, had burned to the ground after being hit by lightening three years earlier.

Øyer church is supposedly the first cruciform log church in Gudbrandsdalen. Who decided the form and architecture we don't know, but cruciform churches were probably a fairly common model at the time. Contributions from all over the country helped finance the new church. By royal decree all main churches paid 2 riksdaler each and all chapels 1 riksdaler. Øyer had previously contributed to churches in other parts of the country under the same financial model.

The church from southeast

Johannes Arnesen, who was parish clerk in Øyer 1845-1890, had the names of six men who participated in the building of the present church. They were Bjørn Bjørnson Olstad, Torgjer Kristenson Lågårud, Johannes Nordigard Lånke and his brother whose first name is not known, Bård Systuggun Bjørge and Bjørn Kampen.

A tradition is attached to the participation of Bjørn Olstad in the building: One night after the fire in the old church someone knocked on the door to the vicarage. It was carpenter and wood carver Bjørn Olstad who came to confess to vicar Chr. Wolfgang Monrath. Bjørn had been assaulted by a robber at Steinhytta (a place in the Øyer mountains) and had killed a man in self-defense. The vicar forgave him his sins, but as penance he should participate in the logging of the new church, without compensation. According to tradition Bjørn Olstad also did the wood carvings inside the church.

The church from northeast

At the consecration the church had neither wainscot nor steeple. The steeple and spire was not erected until sometimes between 1748 and 1775. Most likely the church had a slate roof, and was tarred. Later it was painted a reddish brown several times. It is possible that the present white color came after a major restoration in 1875.

After the fire in 1722 two "bridal houses" were erected, one at the entrance to the church from the church green and one at the western entrance. The bells were in a separate tower located on the church green until 1866 when they were moved to the church steeple. Both the bell tower and the "bridal houses" were then removed and sold.

The church around 1900

Prior to 1907 four to five stables stood on the church green. They were logged and with a slated roof, and placed abreast of the church green. In 1907 the old stables were torn down and replaced by a couple of new ones. At the same time the old stone wall towards the green was torn down to make way for the enlargement of the church yard.

There are two stone monuments on the church green. The oldest of these was erected in 1914 in commemoration of the men from Øyer who served their country during the war 1807-1814. The other was erected in 1959 to honor the locals who fought in WW II.

Source: Historieskrift om Øyer kirke, Øyer parish council 1983