Deep in the heart of Texas, where roads dip and curve through endless pastures under voluminous skies, Saint Olaf's Kirke steeple can be seen long before one actually arrives. With no modern development for miles, the location is as peaceful as it must have been back in 1886, when the church was built. St. Olaf's Kirke, also known as Old Rock Church, is listed as one of the most haunted places in Texas. With such ethereal beauty and solitude it's easy to see why the dead would return, linger, or possibly be confused: St Olaf's Kirke is the closest I've ever been to Heaven here on Earth.
Located a few miles outside of Cranfill's Gap, Texas, this church is officially in the middle of the nowhere ghost towns that quilt together to form Central Texas. The church was rennovated in 2009, and is a living testimony to the area's early Norwegian settlers.
The silence is astounding. It's five decibels below silent. The wind blows the dried winter grass without a sound. The only emotion one can feel is calm. Legend has it that if you listen closely, you will hear the sweet voices of past parishioners singing hymns in the pews. Some visitors have reported hearing organ music, while others have seen misty figures in the graveyard.
When I visit this church I love to sit in the pews and stare out the windows. Simple stained and bulls eye glass offers open views of the surrounding hills, unchanged for more than a century.
How lovely it would be to go back in time to live in towns where people truly relied on one another. Simple times when social media consisted of sewing circles and mercantile chatter. Places where imagination and ingenuity were prized over possessions. Towns where families stayed together instead of spreading out across the globe.
Perhaps the true haunting that visitors encounter at Saint Olaf's Kirke is the product of their own peaceful thoughts and inner need to connect with the past. In a world that is so tech savvy and relationship poor, Saint Olaf's offers guests a break from the modern world.
The church is open to the public and closely guarded by a nearby rancher. Be sure to sign the guest book and take nothing more than candid photos. You just might be one of the lucky ones to see someone from the past.
LOVE & GHOST TRIPPING!
This is perhaps one of the most interesting places I’ve seen, at least in photos. I would love to visit this church someday, but not for ghost hunting or any search of paranormal activity, but to see a valuable piece of history. Curiously, the church doesn’t seem like it’s over a hundred years old. The interior seems brand new – there are now cobwebs, everything is clean, and the walls and the pews don’t look aged at all! Seems like the nearby rancher is doing a good job of keeping everything in good shape. :)
Posted by: Earnestine Kettering | 03/15/2013 at 12:03 PM
I just LOVED this so much!! Beautifully and elegantly written!
Posted by: Ashlie | 01/16/2013 at 04:32 PM