The old church in Gol, from approximately 1200, was due for replacement by a new church around 1880. The Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments bought the church and presented it to King Oscar II. The King paid for its re-erection at Bygdøy in 1884. In line with the general enthusiasm for the Middle Ages, the stave church from Gol was restored to its supposed original look from the 1200s. The inspiration for the missing medieval building parts was drawn from Borgund Stave Church.