Arholma Church: The Oak Moved Twice as Fast

Arholma Church, perched high on Kvarnberget overlooking Kägelbacken on Arholma in northern Roslagen, was consecrated in 1928. The building was not originally intended for this site; instead, a relocated mission house from Kungsholmen, dubbed 'Michael’s Chapel', was re-erected here in 1926. The church belongs to Väddö parish in Uppsala diocese and the Church of Sweden. The architectural designs were penned by architect Oscar Holm, a frequent summer guest on the island.

Harald Lindberg, born and raised on neighboring Björkö, created the church's artistic décor. The church features a nave with a broadened entrance wing on one short side. The entrance to the church is in the wall of the entrance wing. Five quarry stones are situated in front of the entrance. The church boasts three windows on one side and three on the other. The nave's walls are sheathed with white-painted timber and crowned with a pitched roof.

The ground sits directly on the cliff. A chimney with a church bell is positioned on one side of the roof. Decorative paintings by Harald Lindberg date back to the year of the church’s consecration. The altarpiece is inscribed 'Harald Lindberg 1927-1928' and was funded by King Gustaf Adolf and Prince Eugen. The baptismal font is made of wood, with a copper baptismal bowl. A three-masted votive ship floats above the pulpit in the front part of the nave. An electric organ was gifted to the church in 1975, replacing the former harmonium.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons