The block-pillar church (Finnish: tukipilarikirkko; Swedish: blockpelarkyrka) was a common type of wooden church in Ostrobothnia in the 17th century. Individual specimens are also found elsewhere in Finland and in northern Sweden.
The basic form of a block pillar church is a nave church, where the walls are made of horizontal logs and the joints between the logs are placed inside a timber pillar. The pillars are square timbered cavities as high as the walls with interlocking joints and are visible from both outside and inside the church. The pillars support a long timber wall so it doesn't start to buckle due to pressure from the roof. Inside the church, the walls are supported by tie beams between the parallel walls.[1] Most commonly two pairs of block pillars were used, but the largest block-pillar church is Tornio Church, which has three pairs of pillars. In the west gable, the churches often have a timbered tower with a high spire. Most often the tower had no church bells, and a bell tower was built separately. Block-pillar churches appear to have been an Ostrobothnian specialty.[2]
Around a hundred block-pillar churches were built, twelve of which have been preserved. The oldest preserved is Vörå church from 1627, which was expanded into a cruciform church in 1777.[2]
| Place | Church | Built | Notes | Picture | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1754 | moved from Loimaa in 1841 | 120x120px|Alastaro Church | |||
| 1726 | 120x120px|Jukkasjärvi Church | ||||
| 1688–1691 | 120x120px|Kempele Old Church | ||||
| 1700 | 120x120px|Ulrika Eleonora Church | ||||
| 1634 | 120x120px|Muhos Church | ||||
| 1689 | 120x120px|Sodankylä Old Church | ||||
| 1767 | 120x120px|Temmes Church | ||||
| 1687–89 | 120x120px|Tervola Old Church | ||||
| 1684–86 | 120x120px|Tornio Church | ||||
| 1783 | 120x120px|Ullava Church | ||||
| 1762 | 120x120px|Utajärvi Church | ||||
| 1626–27 | expanded to cruciform church in 1777 | 120x120px|Vörå Church |