Historic Wooden Houses, Churches and Temples
Wood used to be the main construction material in many parts of the word for thousands of years. It is found in large quantities and is inexpensive, easy to work and an excellent insulator keeping the building warm during cold winter months and cool during the summer heat. However, it was eventually replaced by brick and stone primarily due to fire safety.
Few centuries ago, there was no electricity. Both lightning and heating required the use of fire which made fire accidents a lot less common than today. Most historic wooden buildings were therefore destroyed by fire, while the others were destroyed by moisture, termites and the effects of time. Few notable wooden buildings managed to survive only but those that did clearly prove that wood can be just as durable as other construction materials including brick and stone if properly maintained.
The finest examples of historic wooden buildings in Europe are found in Norway. The country is home to several so-called staved churches which are notable for being made entirely of wood. The Urnes stave church located at the Ornes farm in the municipality of Luster in Sogn og Fjordane county is both the finest and the oldest stave church, and is estimated to be built around 1130. The church that was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage sites list in 1979 was renovated in the 20th century but it still contains a number of original medieval features and even some elements of an earlier church that stood on the site of the current Urnes stave church. Other stave churches in Norway date from the mid-12th to mid-13th century, while the only stave church outside Norway is found at Hedared, Sweden. The “Swedish” stave church is believed to be built in the late 15th or early 16th century.
England is home to even an older wooden church - the Greensted Church. It is located in the village of Greensted in Essex, England, and is the oldest wooden church in the world. The oak walls are believed to be remains of the original church that was built in the mid-9th or mid-11th century which makes it at least 100 years older from the oldest stave church in Norway. It went through some changes over the following centuries but the nave is believed to be predominantly original. The Greensted Church still functions as church and is used for religious services but it is also open to visitors.
Another fine example of a historic wooden building is found in Japan. Horyu-ji, a Buddhist temple in Ikaruga that was designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 along with Hokki-ji is considered one of the oldest wooden building in the world. The first temple was built by Prince Shotoku around 607 but this temple is believed to be destroyed by a fire caused by a lightning about 670 though it remains a matter of debate whether the first temple was destroyed by fire or other cause. The current temple is estimated to be built in the early 8th century but it went through reconstructions in the 12th, 14th and early 17th centuries. The temple’s pagoda (a type of tower popular in Japan, China, Korea and other parts of Asia), on the other hand, is estimated to be built at the late 6th century and is believed to be the oldest surviving wooden building in the world.
In North America, the oldest surviving timber-frame house dates to 17th century. The Fairbanks House, located in Dedham, Massachusetts, was built by a Puritan settler named Jonathan Fairbanks between between 1637 and 1641. The house that is designated as U.S. National Historic Landmark passed down through as much as 8 generations until the beginning of the 20th century. The original structure was enlarged over the following centuries, while the latest additions were made in the 1880’s. Today, the house serves as a museum.
The oldest wooden house in Europe is located in Schwyz in Switzerland. It is known as the Bethlehem House and was built 700 years ago and occupied until the 1980’s. Like the Fairbanks House, the Bethlehem House today serves as a museum and is still in excellent condition despite being 700 years old.