Church Park

The small park on the west side of the rectory is now called Kyrkskvären (Church Park). The locals built their first church here in 1602. Once the church was completed, they requested their own chaplain. Around the same time, Duke Charles (later King Charles IX) initiated the division of large parishes to enable the public to fulfil their religious duties. Yttermalax and Övermalax, Västersolf and Östersolf, and Vargö (Bergö) formed a common parish, Malax parish, in 1607. The original church was poorly constructed, which is why it was renovated and expanded already in 1659. In the 1960s, excavations were conducted in the church square, uncovering remnants of this church. There was also a cemetery located on the site. In an inspection protocol from 1804, owners of burial houses were urged to renovate their deteriorating burial houses. The cemetery was in use until 1833 when the current church cemetery was consecrated. Today, only one tombstone remains, belonging to Benjamin Sinius (1765–1823), who became an assistant pastor in Malax in 1801 and served as a vicar from 1809 to 1823.

Sources: Klockars Johannes, Boken om Malax. Complemented by Klockars Anders. Ab Frams tryckeri, Vaasa 1961. Smeds Helmer, Malaxbygden. Ernst Ingelius Boktryckeri, Helsinki 1935. Malax socken - Malax församling, Various protocols and other documents stored in the archives in Petalax and Malax Museiförenings. Compiled by Kerstin Hägen. Picture from the book Jungfrudanser och snickarglädje.