Brevik is an old town in Porsgrunn municipality in Telemark.
Brevik was its own municipality until the amalgamation of
municipalities in 1964, when it - together with Eidanger and
Porsgrunn - became a new municipality which was named Porsgrunn.
Brevik is today a district in the large multi-core city in Grenland,
which Statistics Norway calls Porsgrunn / Skien.
Brevik is
considered one of Norway's best-preserved "sailing ship towns". The
city is located at the far end of the Eidanger Peninsula, and was
previously a significant shipping port for, among other things, ice
and lumber.
History
1622: Admiral-General Cort Adeler is born.
1630:
Military battery (blockhouse) is built on Øya (Blokkhustangen).
1670: Brevik's first church is built.
1680: Brevik receives
charging station rights.
1689: Brevik gets a post office.
1693: Brevik gets its first school board.
1760. The first bridge
over to the island is built.
1761: Large city fire in Brevik.
1779: Royal grant for the crossing Brevik-Stathelle.
1780: The
first guards are hired.
1800: Another big fire. Brevik has
approx. 1000 inhabitants.
1801: A military cannon battery is
built on the island.
1820. The gape stick by the church is taken
out of use.
1837: Hans Morten Thrane Esmark becomes the city's
first mayor.
1838: Post robber Berg is beheaded at Batteriet.
1845. Brevik receives city status.
1846: Brevik gets middle
school.
1847: Brevik gets a pharmacy. - Brevik Sparebank is
established.
1849: Brevik receives its first newspaper
«Adressetidende».
1849: Brevik gets its public library.
1855:
Brevik telegraph station opens.
1867: The first waterworks dams
are built.
1878: Brevik's church no. 2 is consecrated.
1882:
Setreveien is built as a new main road into the city.
1883: The
fire watch tower is built.
1893: Brevik Idrettslag is founded.
1895: Brevik railway station is opened by King Oscar II.
1896:
The postal route by boat Brevik-Kristiansand is opened.
1905:
Brevik's first cinema.
1907: King Chulalongkorn of Siam visits
Brevik.
1914: Brevik gets electric light.
1919: Cement
production starts at Dalen Portland Cement Factory.
1921: Brevik
gets its own hospital.
1925: Brevik gets an old people's home.
1931: The fish bazaar is built.
1945: Brevik gets a city coat of
arms.
1949: Langbrygga is upgraded with a concrete pier.
1950:
Furulund Sports Park opens.
1952: A new bridge is built to the
island.
1958: Blekebakkveien is built.
1960: Brevik church
burns down.
1961: New school is taken into use on Åsen.
1962:
Brevik bridge is taken into use.
1963: New cinema is built.
1963: Brevik's church no. 3 is consecrated.
1963: Municipal
amalgamation. Eidanger and the towns of Brevik and Porsgrunn are
merged.
1964: A new municipality is established with the name
Porsgrunn.
1966: The ferry route Brevik-Copenhagen starts.
1979: The Norwegian Coastal Administration's traffic center on
Strømmangen is established.
1982: The Brevik boat "Alliance"
becomes world champion in sailing (junior class in Florida).
1983: The restaurant house Sjøloftet in Brevik starts up by Brevik's
harbor pool.
1992: Brevik nursing home is taken into use.
1995: DD.MM. King Harald and Queen Sonja visit Brevik.
1996:
Grenlandsbrua is opened by King Harald.
Railway
Brevik got
its own railway line - the Brevik line - in 1895. Passenger traffic
was discontinued in 1968, and the railway track has later, together
with parts of the station area, been demolished. Today, only parts
of the track are used on the stretch from Norcem to Porsgrunn for
freight transport.