Did you know North Dakota has more churches per capita than any other state in the country?
Did you know North Dakota has more churches per capita than any other state in the country? But of all the churches in North Dakota, the state also has a very unique church that no other place has: the Gol Stave Church in the Scandinavian Heritage Park in Minot.
The Gol Stave Church Replica in Minot, North Dakota, is a full-scale, 60-foot-tall recreation of a 13th-century Norwegian medieval church. Dedicated in 2000, it features intricate, hand-carved,, Nordic woodwork and is built without nails using traditional, tongue-and-groove methods. It is. One of eight stave churches in the USA.It is located in the Scandinavian Heritage Park.
The 60-foot tall replica is based on the original Gol Stave Church (circa 1250) located in Oslo, Norway.
It was built in 2000 by Dr. Myron D. Peterson without nails, using traditional, cedar wood, construction methods.
The park also features a large Dala Horse. The horse is 30 feet tall and is the most recognized Swedish symbol in the world. It was dedicated by the Swedish Heritage Association on October 10, 2000.
These brightly colored horses have been carved in various sizes by Swedish craftsmen and take their name from the province of Dalarna where is has been a popular form of domestic art since the 1840s. Historical accounts vary in giving credit to woodsmen and to soldiers for originating the craft. It is certain that long autumn and winter evenings with little to do, coupled with the availability of wood scraps from the furniture-making trade of the area, fostered the development of the Dala Horse.
The first Dala Horses were plain wood, created as toys for children. A hundred years later, they took on their familiar bright colors and kurbit (flower-patterned) saddle and harness designs.
