Törnävä
Church is the primary church in the parish of Seinäjoki. It was originally
built by the Russian state as a gunpowder warehouse for Östermyra’s gunpowder
factory in 1827. Later, it was converted into a church through the efforts and
contributions of the parishioners, led by the factory director G. A.
Wasastjerna.
The work was completed in 1864, and the church was consecrated in August of
that same year. The church tower has a unique appearance because it was
originally designed as the storeroom’s watchtower, which was much lower. The
church’s architecture closely resembles the Gothic style, with arced windows
and doors and a highly decorative pulpit and altar.
In the churchyard, the gate post of the old stone wall holds an alms box made by the Östermyra steel factory’s blacksmiths. The inscription above the box reads: ‘Do not forget the poor only because your day is joyful. Give gladly and you will be given to’. Funds collected in the box are used for community work by the church – the very purpose the inscription encourages us to donate money for.
The bell tower has three bells, two of which are the church’s original bronze bells.
