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Annette Gran (7 years ago)
Vegard Gunnestad (8 years ago)
Syver Stensholt (9 years ago)
The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1392, but the church was not necessarily built that year. The original part of the building was possibly built sometime around the year 1200, although the church presently uses 1392 as the year of its founding (celebrating its 600th anniversary in 1992). In 1992, dendrochronological dating was carried out to determine the age of the church, but it was inconclusive. The stone church was initially built with a rectangular nave and a smaller, rectangular chancel with a lower roofline. It was built in a Romanesque style, typically seen in churches built in the 12th and early 13th centuries in Norway. The building is constructed of stone, with the walls measuring about 120 centimetres (47 in) thick. Later, a wooden church porch was built at the main entrance. Extensive repairs were carried out in 1686 (a wall and a new tower on top of the nave, and second floor seating galleries in the nave). In 1932, a sacristy was built on the south side of the chancel. In 1951, the sacristy was taken down and rebuilt on the east end of the chancel.
The church was owned by the county of Jarlsberg from 1673 to 1766, when it was bought by some farmers in the village of Hem. In 1913, ownership of the church was transferred to the parish.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.