The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1300, but it was likely built in the mid-1100s. The first church on Hundvåg island was built at Austbø, about 500 metres (1,600 ft) east of the present site of the church. The church was probably a small Romanesque stone church. The church was no longer regularly used after the mid-1600s and from then on, the islanders had to travel to the nearby Frue Church on the mainland. By 1745, the church had become a ruin. In the 19th century, the stones from the old church were used to help restore the nearby Stavanger Cathedral, and at that time, the foundation was leveled and all traces of the old church were gone. Over 100 years later, a new church was built on the island at a more central location, about 500 metres (1,600 ft) to the west of the old church site.[3][4]
