The Church of St. Lawrence (Vantaan Pyhän Laurin kirkko; Helsinge kyrka S:t Lars) is a church in Vantaa.Dating back to ca. 1450, it is the oldest building in Vantaa and all of Greater Helsinki.It is also the main church of the Tikkurila Parish. Along with its surrounding neighborhood, the church is a part of the Helsingin pitäjän kirkonkylä district, which is one of the best preserved historical parishes in all of Finland.It was partially destroyed in a fire on 7 May 1893,after which it was reconstructed in a Gothic Revival style.The Church was built around the year 1450, though records suggest that a wooden equivalent stood in its position as early as 1401. Prior to the Protestant Reformation and the introduction of Lutheranism into Finland, the church served the Roman Catholic Church.It was built as the church of Helsinki Parish, well before Helsinki, the city, was founded in 1550. The parish village with its church was favorably located on a coastal road between Turku and Vyborg.
