[1][2][3] Gimsøy Abbey was a large farm owner and powerful entity in the Skien area during the Middle Ages.

The Abbey was closed after the Reformation and then it burned down in 1546, with no trace of it left today.

After the town of Skien was enlarged in 1916, it became important for this area to have its own chapel and cemetery.

The new Gimsøy Chapel was designed by Gunnar Nordby and it was consecrated on 10 December 1922.

The church was restored in 1972, when windows with stained glass were inserted in the choir wall.