The full-scale replica of Norway's Hopperstad Stave Church was the dream of local chemist Guy Paulson. With the help of family and friends, Paulson organized the construction of the church over a span of five and a half years, carving the intricate Norwegian designs himself.

The original church is found in Vik in Sogn (Norway), and was built in the mid-1100s, a fascinating time of change as Norway became Christianized and the Viking Age drew to a close.