The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1340, but the church was not new at that time. The first church in Skånevik was a wooden stave church that was likely built in the 13th century on a site about 10 metres (33 ft) south of the present church site. An inspection report from 1664 states that the old church was very dilapidated and in poor condition. Throughout the 1660s, the roof was repaired a little by little each year to help save the church, but planning soon began for a new church. In 1674, the church was damaged by a large storm. In 1682–1683, the old church was torn down and replaced by a new timber-framedlong church on the same site. The new church was built by Olle Bysemb and Erich Fyllingsnes. The new church had a nave that measured about 12.5 by 10 metres (41 ft × 33 ft) and a choir that measured about 6.3 by 4.4 metres (21 ft × 14 ft).[3][4][5]
In 1814, this church served as an election church (Norwegian: valgkirke).[6][7] Together with more than 300 other parish churches across Norway, it was a polling station for elections to the 1814 Norwegian Constituent Assembly which wrote the Constitution of Norway. This was Norway's first national elections. Each church parish was a constituency that elected people called "electors" who later met together in each county to elect the representatives for the assembly that was to meet in Eidsvoll later that year.[6][8]
The building was remodeled in 1857. In 1900, a new church was built about 10 metres (33 ft) north of the old church. The new church was designed by Hartvig Sverdrup Eckhoff. The new church was consecrated on 31 August 1900. A few months after the new church was completed, the older church was demolished.[3][4][5]
