On April 23, 1916, the municipal council for Kunoy, Mikladalur, and Húsar parishes sent a letter to the Faroese County and the Provost, requesting a design for a new stone church with an iron roof in Húsar. This was necessary because strong winter winds had destroyed the old church earlier that year.
On July 19, 1916, churchwarden Daniel Hansen received permission to dismantle the ruined church at his discretion. Authorities instructed him to store all usable materials safely. After an assessment by two trusted men, he was to sell any unusable materials that could not be reused in the new building.
Later, the Faroese Parliament (Løgting) tasked the County Governor and the Provost with securing a design and cost estimate for a stone church measuring 12 × 24 alen (about 7.5 × 15 m). They approached Guttorm Eysturoy, a master carpenter from Tórshavn who had trained in Bergen, Norway. He based the church’s design on Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.
Although the foundation was prepared promptly, the site remained idle for about a year while men from Húsa and Syðradalur quarried and shaped the stone. This demanding work required time, skill, and community collaboration.
Christian J. Sørensen supervised the entire construction and personally handled the stone and masonry work, while Guttorm Eysturoy was responsible for carpentry and woodwork.
Blacksmiths at Askham’s smithy in Tórshavn crafted the church’s five spires. The main spire bears the year 1919, which indicates when the church was originally scheduled for completion. However, the project took longer and cost significantly more than anticipated.
In fact, according to local accounts, the church’s construction was so expensive that it emptied not only the church fund of Norðoyar Parish but also all other church funds across the Faroe Islands—and more.
For four years (1916–1920), the village had no functioning church. Finally, on July 11, 1920 (the 6th Sunday after Trinity), Provost Jákup Dahl consecrated the new church, marking the completion of a remarkable community effort.
Today, Húsa Church serves the communities of Húsar and Syðradalur. With its stone structure and five iron spires, the church stands as one of the most unique and architecturally striking buildings in the Faroe Islands.
(Source: J. P. Gregoriussen, “Nýggjaru Kirkjurnar”; Fólkakirkjan)
Húsa kirkja is part of the parish serving Húsar and Syðradalur.
For more information, visit the official Fólkakirkjan page.
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