Boxholms kyrka stands on a hillside beside the Svartån river, its roughly 50-metre tower visible from far across the surrounding countryside as visitors approach the small town of Boxholm in Östergötland.
Boxholms kyrka was built between 1895 and 1897 to designs by the architect Gustaf Petterson of the Överintendentsämbetet, in a Gothic Revival style. It replaced an earlier arrangement in which services for the ironworks community had been held in the local school hall, which had become too small for the growing workforce. The Boxholm ironworks company funded the construction, and the church was consecrated on 12 September 1897 by the bishop of Linköping, with local clergy from several neighbouring parishes taking part.
The church's most distinctive feature is its building material: it was constructed from around 200,000 blocks of slag stone (slaggsten), a by-product of the ironworks' furnace and rolling mill operations. Special moulds resembling bricks were made for the purpose, and records apparently exist detailing exactly where each numbered block was to be placed in the building. The black sheet-metal roof covering also came from the works' own rolling mill, while the interior joinery, including an ornately carved altar rail, was produced in the ironworks' own joinery workshop. Electric lighting, supplied from the works' own plant, was installed from the very beginning.
The church consists of a rectangular nave running north to south, with a many-sided chancel apse to the south and a tower with porch and entrance to the north; a sacristy adjoins the chancel to the east. Sandstone and limestone work was carried out by a Linköping stonemason's firm, and the stained glass was supplied by a Stockholm workshop. Fittings of note include a font carved from whitebeam wood by a sculptor from Tranås, and an oak pulpit with painted panels of the evangelists, thought to follow designs by the church's own architect. The organ, built by a Lund organ workshop, dates from the mid-20th century rebuilding of the organ loft.
According to the sources, the building has more recently suffered from damp penetrating its slag-stone walls, prompting substantial renovation work, and the church has at times been closed to visitors owing to a risk of falling plasterwork inside. Given the building's unusual construction, visitors should be aware that access and condition may vary and should check current arrangements before travelling.
Opening hours have not been confirmed for the current date. This does not mean the church is closed.
Additional opening information is awaiting translation. Check the official visitor-information link before travelling.
Check access with the parish before travelling. Services and seasonal changes can affect visits.
Boxholms församling
Boxholms församling
Boxholms kyrka stands on a hillside beside the Svartån river, its roughly 50-metre tower visible from far across the surrounding countryside as visitors approach the small town of Boxholm in Östergötland.
Hjortstigen 2, Boxholm
Explore this church: Boxholms kyrkaChurch information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.
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Skolvägen 16
View church details: Ringarums kyrkaSources, credits and English adaptations are identified on each church page. Provider data: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0.
Provider catalogue data: Svenska kyrkan, Platser, CC BY 4.0. Separately credited descriptions retain their stated source and licence terms. Catalogue and visiting data reformatted from the provider. The English guide combines and abridges separately credited sources below.
Provider record updated: 11 May 2026. This is not an independent verification date.
Source record: a390982d-32f2-4626-9332-a42b4d359179
This English guide combines, abridges and translates the sources below with AI assistance, with editorial contributions by Churches in Sweden. It has not been independently verified. The adapted guide text is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photographs and map data have their own terms.