In 1837, Berte and Jon Grimerud donated land from the Tangen farm to the Stange Church parish. It took some time, but on 23 March 1857, the new Tangen parish was separated from the Stange parish. Plans for a new church on the donated land began soon afterwards. The church was designed by Christian Heinrich Grosch and the lead builder was Hans Gulbrandsen Røisi. The nave is octagonal and choir and church porch are connected on opposite ends of the octagon. There are sacristies in the extension of the choir. The middle part of the nave has a raised roof supported by eight columns. Grosch designed many octagonal churches in Norway, but this is the only one with a raised central part which is supposed to be influenced by stave church architecture. Tangen church was consecrated on 9 August 1861 by the local ProvostPaul Winsnes (the husband of Hanna Winsnes who wrote a famous Norwegian cookbook).[3][4]