Ah, I’m sure many of you are thinking that the grammarian has slipped up. Norway doors, indeed! It should be Norwegian doors. But I’ve mislead you by a continent. These churches and their doors are found in Norway, Illinois, a small town we passed through last year on an anniversary drive to Starved Rock State Park.
According to the Norwegian National League site:
Norway, Illinois is the first permanent Norwegian settlement in North America, settled in 1835 by the Sloopers, led by Cleng Peerson. The Sloopers were immigrants who came to America on the sloop Restaurasjonen, arriving in New York in 1825 and later coming to Illinois.
The museum began in 1978 in the oldest Norwegian Lutheran Church in America The museum is dedicated to Norwegian culture and strives to honor and preserve the memory of the Norwegian forefathers who settled in the area. The museum continues to provide a link to the past and its continued preservation into the future. The museum features household items, spinning wheels, rosemaling, bunads, a Viking display, immigrant’s trunks, early farm tools and so much more.
The building is an excellent example of carpentry by pioneer Norwegian craftsmen. All the structural beams in the attic were hand hewn from soft pine and fastened with wooden (hard wood) pegs rather than nails. The ends of some of the beams in the attic still bear various craftsmen’s symbols stamped into the wood. Material for the building was hauled 70 miles from Chicago to Norway (IL) by wagon and oxen. It was dedicated as a house of worship in 1848 replacing a log cabin church built in 1838 and was decommissioned as a church in 1918.
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Unfortunately, the museum was closed when we visited. But here are some photos of the church and its doors as well as those of another church just around the corner, a church that’s still functioning as a church, not as a museum.
And around the corner…
In case you’re wondering, Wikipedia enlightens us:
Rosemåling is a style of Norwegian decorative painting on wood that uses stylized flower ornamentation, predominantly primary and secondary colors,scrollwork, lining and geometric elements, often in flowing patterns.
To see some bunads, traditional Norwegian women’s costumes, check out this post by My Little Norway.
This, that and the other thing 
That’s a very lovely church. And doors. 😀
I like them both. Wish we could have gone inside the museum as well as the church. Maybe another time.
janet
Sounds like a good future trip 🙂 Look forward to more pics!
I have a few more photos of some other interesting things, but if we ever get to the museum… 🙂
janet
I like the blue doors. Refined and inviting, if you ask me. Interesting history here. Good photos.
Thanks. The blue ones are my favorite as well. It was interesting to find this bastion of early Norwegians here in the middle of the US. 🙂
janet
I like the blue doors best. The wooden ones almost seem out of place, but maybe that’s just me.
My guess is that they’re newer doors, but who knows? I like the blue ones, too.
janet
Love the simple lines of this style of building. A highlights very different mentality towards their religion: humility, modesty, and functionality instead of grand gestures and overt opulence.
I think the Scandinavians are more spare in their building designs than the Europeans further south, such as the English, French, and Italians. Maybe it’s the climate, maybe a more simple religion. But I agree, I like it.
janet
Well said, Norm!
enjoyed the doors and history…
and like learning more about our country – and did not know about the “Norwegian forefathers who settled in the area”
also, there is a little church in Morrison, CO that looks very much like the Norsk Museum –
I find it interesting that the Norwegians made it all this way from the coast and then chose to stay here. I’ll have to do another post about some of the gravestones we saw.
janet
yeah – wonder how and why their path ended there – 🙂
I found this really interesting because my great grandfather was born in Voss Norway.
Many years ago, I spent some time in Norway and loved it.
janet
Thanks for the interesting history of the church.
My pleasure. I’m glad you enjoyed reading about it.
janet
Since you like to travel, it would have fine! But it’s always interesting how in history another country came to the USA. I love Scandinavian houses and their knitting work has gorgeous patterns. Like the square tower of this church. As a matter of interest (not one you have to research), I wonder if the church originally had siding on the outside walls. too. Great find, Janet:)
I’m sure there are some interesting things in that museum, Jesh! I really like Scandinavian patterns, too.
Church doors always get my attention. It is hard to choose a favorite from these, but… that shade of blue is pretty perfect.
I like the blue, too, Suzanne.
janet
Handsome architecture, doors, and stained glass windows plus I enjoyed the background info. Nice find, Janet.
I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as we did, Judy.
A fascinating post, Janet. I would love to visit here and see some of the craftsmen’s marks in the attic.
Ω
Hopefully we’ll stop again one day and explore.
These are two beautiful buildings (and wonderful doors). I love the cross detail in the entrance roof structure as well as the stained glass window behind it. The little roof jutting out around the entrance tower in the museum is a very interesting detail. I enjoyed studying these photos very much. Thanks!
I’m glad you enjoyed them so much, Dan. We were quite happy to find them. I’d like to go back to the museum sometime when it’s open.
janet
Beautiful church. I misread the sign “Hauge” as “huge” and thought that was an odd, and slightly boastful, thing to have on a church sign. 🙂
🙂 Many years ago, we were at a church meeting where they told us the church had received a huge bequest, which made us excited. But it was from the Huge (hu-gee) estate. We still laugh about that.
janet
So funny, but I can so understand your disappointment at the time 🙂
It was quite funny.
Simple and serene – beautiful. And what: I thought you had been to Norway without visiting me………..then I realized those doors would not be the ones posted from a Norwegian trip.
Trust me, if I get to Norway, I will definitely set up time for a visit. 🙂 You cannot escape.
janet
😁
I love those blue doors, and the tower, and the stained glass window in the second church.
Lovely finds both, and neat history too!
It was an enjoyable and unexpected find, Deborah.
janet
Great finds, Janet!
Thanks, Gordon. I’m happy you like them.
It is a shame you didn’t get to see inside. I am a Rosemaler myself so I would have loved to see if the interior was decorated.
I would guess it was, but it wasn’t open. 😦
janet