Replica Borgund

Replica Borgund Stave Church in the Black Hills,

Rapid City, South Dakota, USA

 

Photographed in 2010 

Amidst towering pine trees and with the Black Hills in the background, the replica of Borgund stave church was constructed. The stave church, called the Chapel in the Hills and unique in American building, was completed in 1969.

In most respects, the church is an exact replica of the original church in Norway. The size of the church is the same down to the inch (length, 53 feet; width, 35 feet; height, 59 feet 6 inches). The structure of the church is the same and the carved ornamentation is the same. Nails were not used by Norwegian builders in 1150. However, the builders of the South Dakota replica did use them - but the nails can not be seen; they are hidden by wooden pegs that were driven in to conceal them.

Carefully selected Douglas fir from Oregon was used for the massive staves, the vertical planks and the thousands of wood shingles. 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The elaborate portals and the striking dragonheads flying from the gables were carved in Norway. The interior carving was undertaken by a Scandinavian immigrant woodcarver residing in Rapid city who was skilled in “old school” carving techniques.

The chapel is used frequently for weddings, baptisms and first communions.

Mary Barnett (me) at Mt. Rushmore

Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands (that remind one of lunar landscapes) are located close to the Chapel in the Hills. Since 1938, Sturgis, South Dakota (just north of Rapid City) has welcomed motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world to the Annual Motorcycle Rally held each August (hundreds of thousands attend).