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 FOUNDATIONS
Harboring Heritage—A stave church replica in Minnesota pays homage to Norwegian-Christian tradition.
Hopperstad Church in Vik, Norway, is one of 28 surviving stave churches built by King Olav II in 12th century Norway. Today an exact replica stands in Moorhead, Minnesota, at the Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center, thanks to Fargo, North Dakota, resident Guy Paulson.
Paulson, 69, began work on the replica in 1997 after a decade of thinking about it. “I love to build things,” says Paulson. “I wanted something to do in retirement. I like a challenge.” During the next five-and-a-half years, while building the ornate structure, he visited Hopperstad twice and collected photographs and measurements to act as guides.
The project yielded an exact duplicate of the 36-foot-wide by 56-foot-long church. Lavish woodcarvings of Viking-era symbols such as dragon heads and griffins cover the face of the church porch. The roof is capped by a steeple and copper rooster weathervane. Inside, the open sanctuary has 16 staves, or posts, that lend support—and give the structure its name.
Today the church, finally completed in late 2002, is used for weddings, baptisms and special events.
—Sara Williams
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