Various fund-raising activities

It all started with various activities to raise money to build a ¿bedehus". The first person to give money was an elderly woman who contributed 10 kroner to the cause. But the 1920s was a decade marked by hard economic times, and nothing concrete was accomplished before World War II. In 1953, the committee got new members, and the planning was resumed. The vicar Hjalmar Tjelta advised them to concentrate their efforts on building a "bedehus" chapel, a so-called local church community centre. This would serve the congregation better because services, weddings, christenings, confirmation and funerals could thus take ministered in their own house. A consensus was soon reached, and the planning continued according to these guidelines.

Location

There were many rounds of discussions before the location of Espeset eventually was chosen for the building. The committee took up a loan of 40 000 kroner, in addition to the raised means. The total cost of the house amounted to about 60 000 kroner, and it was built by the master builder Kristoffer Stenbakk. It must be added that a lot of work was carried out in the form of voluntary contributions, both on the site and on the house itself. The first board of directors for the ¿bedehus" chapel consisted of Johan A. Espeseth, Aslaug Hovland, Anders Hovland, Borghild Flølo Æsøy, and Samson Vallestad.
In 1962, an extension was added to the north with a larger hall and cloakroom. Askrova "bedehus" chapel had six services a year, in addition to other church functions.

Solemn consecration

The day of the consecration was indeed a red-letter day. It was blessed with beautiful weather and people from the whole island and the surrounding district turned up. The house was filled to capacity, and some even had to stay outside. Many clergymen were present besides bishop Indrebø. The clergymen were Hjalmar Tjelta, Salamon Steinhovden, Einar Tuvin, and Steinar Ihle. Steinar Ihle played the organ. Olav Fagerheim, who had served as sexton in Florø for a number of years, read the opening prayer and led the singing. There was also a christening ceremony that day when Magne Espeseth, one of the sons of Liva nd Sverre Espeseth, was baptized.