Outside, in the west the ocean breaks
against a 43 mile long sandy beach.
13
Hå old Vicarage:
Håvegen 347, 4365 Nærbø
Phone: 51 79 16 60
post.hgp@ha.kommune.no
hagamleprestegard.no
The history of the old Vicarage at Hå
It´s likely that priests have lived on the farm since the
year 1300 AD. With the introduction of Christianity, it
was often leading families who built churches.
The first church at Nærheim may have been built as
a private church on the farm Nærheim. The clergyman
probably lived here.
In the cemetery stands a stone cross from approximately
year 1000 AD. This is the most prominent
memorial from early Christendom at Hå.
The name Nærheim testifies to the worshipping of
the Norse god Njord. Finds at Nærheim of crosses
and stones with both runes and Christian symbolism,
tell that churches were often built at pagan cult sites.
After the Black Plague in 1350, a major social change
occurred. The church organization was developed
and Bø became the main church in the parish of Hå.
Arne Garborg
Norwegian author and poet
Njærheim church was extended in 1620 - 30. This
may have been the reason why the clergy moved to
Hå. The farm at Hå was placed along the Royal Road
and closer to the ocean which was the main route for
transportation. Hå become a vicarage in Hå parish in
1668.
In 1834, the parishes Nærheim and Bø were merged
and named Nærbø parish. A new church was then
built at Skjærpe in Nærbø.
Hå was a vicarage until 1921 when the priest moved
to a new residence at Nærbø. The buildings at Haa
were in a bad condition and their location was too far
from the new main road further inland. A railroad was
opened in 1878.
The vicarage at Hå was run as a farm until 1977 when
Hå municipality bought the property. In 1983 the site
was established as a center for Arts and Culture.