Björkö kyrka

The church was built between 1843 and 1845 (sources differ on whether the finishing date was 1845 or 1847), to designs by the prolific architect Carl-Gustaf Blom-Carlsson. It was consecrated in 1850 by Bishop Christopher Isac Heurlin. It stands on a new site, roughly 50 metres from the old medieval church, whose location is now marked only by a mound and a memorial plaque.

The building is a spacious example of the neoclassical, empire-style churches encouraged in this diocese in the early 1800s, partly at the urging of the Bishop of Växjö, Esaias Tegnér, who wanted churches large enough to hold an entire parish's adult population at once. Such buildings, popularly nicknamed 'Tegnér barns', were not universally welcomed at the time: some contemporaries felt they were oversized and lacking in character compared with the older churches they replaced.

The church consists of a long nave with a rounded chancel to the east, built in stone, with a tall west tower housing the main entrance. The tower is topped by an enclosed lantern and a gilded cross on a globe. Inside, high windows and a wooden barrel-vaulted ceiling give the interior a bright, airy feel.

Among the furnishings is an altarpiece from the old medieval church, carved in 1761 by Johan Ullberg depicting the institution of the Eucharist, now mounted on the north wall of the nave. The main altarpiece painting, showing Christ blessing the children, was completed in 1865 by Bengt Nordenberg and is set within a surround of pilasters crowned by a triangle and sunburst bearing the Hebrew name of God. The octagonal pulpit dates from the time the church was built, and the limestone font was brought into use in 1939.

The organ has an interesting history: the original 1848 instrument by Sven Nordström was rebuilt in 1950, then had its pipework replaced in the 1960s by Olof Hammarberg of Gothenburg, though the historic 1848 case front was retained.