"Sømna kirke" (3 of 7)
Description
In 1851 Stortinget (the Norwegian parliament) passed an act which among other things required each parish to provide seats for 30% of its parishioners in its churches. Hence Sømna needed a new church and it was designed and built by master builder Ole Olsen Scheistrøen who supplied drawings and estimates for the new church in Vik in 1875. The church is called both Sømna Church and Vik Church.
Scheistrøen did not have any formal training as an architect, but he had for several years collaborated with the architect Jacob Wilhelm Nordan and built several churches to his designs. Scheistrøen preferred to call himself master builder. Sømna Church is thought to be the first church Scheistrøen both designed and built, and it is clearly influenced by Nordan's designs as are several of his other churches too.
Scheistrøen did not have any formal training as an architect, but he had for several years collaborated with the architect Jacob Wilhelm Nordan and built several churches to his designs. Scheistrøen preferred to call himself master builder. Sømna Church is thought to be the first church Scheistrøen both designed and built, and it is clearly influenced by Nordan's designs as are several of his other churches too.
