 The building of the church can be credited to Jacob Matssøn Lund, appointed vicar of Kragerø and Sannidal in 1766; he was an able man who in addition to studying theology also had learned medicine and anatomy.He was the first to vaccinate against smallpox and also instrumental in organising the general education in the village in 1777.Prior to the present church there was a stave church dating back to 1200, which was located on the small hill to the south of the present church.