The block-pillar church ( Finnish: tukipilarikirkko; Swedish: 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.
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. [1] 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. [2]
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. [2]
Place | Church | Built | Notes | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alastaro, Loimaa | Alastaro Church | 1754 | moved from Loimaa in 1841 |
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Jukkasjärvi, Kiruna | Jukkasjärvi Church | 1726 |
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Kempele | Kempele Old Church | 1688–1691 |
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Kristinestad | Ulrika Eleonora Church, Kristinestad | 1700 |
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Muhos | Muhos Church | 1634 |
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Sodankylä | Sodankylä Old Church | 1689 |
| |
Temmes, Tyrnävä | Temmes Church | 1767 |
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Tervola | Tervola Old Church | 1687–89 |
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Tornio | Tornio Church | 1684–86 |
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Ullava, Kokkola | Ullava Church | 1783 |
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Utajärvi | Utajärvi Church | 1762 |
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Vörå | Vörå Church | 1626–27 | expanded to cruciform church in 1777 |
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Media related to
Block pillar churches at Wikimedia Commons
The block-pillar church ( Finnish: tukipilarikirkko; Swedish: 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.
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. [1] 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. [2]
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. [2]
Place | Church | Built | Notes | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alastaro, Loimaa | Alastaro Church | 1754 | moved from Loimaa in 1841 |
|
Jukkasjärvi, Kiruna | Jukkasjärvi Church | 1726 |
![]() | |
Kempele | Kempele Old Church | 1688–1691 |
| |
Kristinestad | Ulrika Eleonora Church, Kristinestad | 1700 |
![]() | |
Muhos | Muhos Church | 1634 |
| |
Sodankylä | Sodankylä Old Church | 1689 |
| |
Temmes, Tyrnävä | Temmes Church | 1767 |
| |
Tervola | Tervola Old Church | 1687–89 |
| |
Tornio | Tornio Church | 1684–86 |
![]() | |
Ullava, Kokkola | Ullava Church | 1783 |
![]() | |
Utajärvi | Utajärvi Church | 1762 |
| |
Vörå | Vörå Church | 1626–27 | expanded to cruciform church in 1777 |
![]() |
Media related to
Block pillar churches at Wikimedia Commons