Block-pillar church
{{Short description|Wooden church in Finland and Sweden}}
The block-pillar church ({{langx|fi|tukipilarikirkko}}; {{langx|sv|blockpelarkyrka}}) was a common type of wooden church in Ostrobothnia in the 17th century. Individual specimens are also found elsewhere in Finland and in northern Sweden.
Construction
The basic form of a block pillar church is a nave church, where the walls are made of horizontal logs and the joints between the logs are placed inside a timber pillar. The pillars are square timbered cavities as high as the walls with interlocking joints and are visible from both outside and inside the church. The pillars support a long timber wall so it doesn't start to buckle due to pressure from the roof. Inside the church, the walls are supported by tie beams between the parallel walls.{{cite book |access-date=2018-01-12 |last=Pettersson |first=Lars |title=Svenska Österbottens historia 5 |chapter=IV Kring stenkyrkorna och stensakristian i Vörå samt blockpelarkyrkornas framträdande i Österbotten |pages=59–63, 67 |date=1985 |publisher=Svenska Österbottens landskapsförbund |ISBN=9519961186 |lang=sv |trans-chapter=About the stone churches and the stone sacristy in Vörå and the emergence of block-pillar churches in Ostrobothnia |chapter-url=http://www.nykarlebyvyer.nu/sidor/texter/prosa/pettersl/svohist5/blockpel.htm}} Most commonly two pairs of block pillars were used, but the largest block-pillar church is Tornio Church, which has three pairs of pillars. In the west gable, the churches often have a timbered tower with a high spire. Most often the tower had no church bells, and a bell tower was built separately. Block-pillar churches appear to have been an Ostrobothnian specialty.{{cite web |access-date=2018-01-12 |last=Knapas |first=Marja Terttu |archive-date=2019-08-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822053635/https://www.kulttuuriymparistomme.fi/sv-FI/Aktuellt/Artiklar/Platser_for_tro_och_forestallningar/Blockpelarkyrkan_ar_en_finlandsk_special(38198) |title=Blockpelarkyrkan en finländsk specialitet |date=2018 |url=http://www.kulttuuriymparistomme.fi/sv-FI/Aktuellt/Artiklar/Platser_for_tro_och_forestallningar/Blockpelarkyrkan_ar_en_finlandsk_special(38198) |website=Kulttuuriymparistomme.fi |lang=sv |trans-title=The block-pillar church is a Finnish speciality}}
Preserved churches
Around a hundred block-pillar churches were built, twelve of which have been preserved. The oldest preserved is Vörå church from 1627, which was expanded into a cruciform church in 1777.
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||||
| Place | Church | Built | class="unsortable" | Notes | class="unsortable" | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alastaro, Loimaa | {{ill|Alastaro Church|fi|Alastaron kirkko}} | 1754 | moved from Loimaa in 1841 | file:Alastaro kirkko.JPG |
| Jukkasjärvi, Kiruna | {{ill|Jukkasjärvi Church|fi|Jukkasjärven kirkko|sv|Jukkasjärvi kyrka}} | 1726 | file:Kirche Jukkasjärvi.jpg | |
| Kempele | {{ill|Kempele Old Church|fi|Kempeleen vanha kirkko}} | 1688–1691 | file:Kempele Church 2006 07 24.JPG | |
| Kristinestad | {{ill|Ulrika Eleonora Church, Kristinestad|fi|Ulrika Eleonoran kirkko (Kristiinankaupunki)}} | 1700 | file:Ulrika Eleonoran kirkko.jpg | |
| Muhos | {{ill|Muhos Church|fi|Muhoksen kirkko}} | 1634 | file:Muhos Church 2006 08 26.JPG | |
| Sodankylä | Sodankylä Old Church | 1689 | file:Sodankylä vanha kirkko.JPG | |
| Temmes, Tyrnävä | {{ill|Temmes Church|fi|Temmeksen kirkko}} | 1767 | file:Temmes Church 2006 07 27.JPG | |
| Tervola | {{ill|Tervola Old Church|fi|Tervolan vanha kirkko}} | 1687–89 | file:Tervola Old Church 20140917 02.JPG | |
| Tornio | {{ill|Tornio Church|fi|Tornion kirkko}} | 1684–86 | file:Tornion kirkko.jpg | |
| Ullava, Kokkola | {{ill|Ullava Church|fi|Ullavan kirkko }} | 1783 | file:Ullavan kirkko.jpg | |
| Utajärvi | {{ill|Utajärvi Church|fi|Utajärven kirkko}} | 1762 | file:Utajarvi Church 2007 06 28.JPG | |
| Vörå | {{ill|Vörå Church|fi|Vöyrin kirkko}} | 1626–27 | expanded to cruciform church in 1777 | file:Vörå kyrka.jpg |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline|Block pillar churches}}