Gjerpen Municipality

Gjerpen is a former municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now part of Skien Municipality. The administrative centre was the village of Gjerpen, which is now part of the growing town of Skien. Gjerpen Church was the main church for the municipality.

==History== The parish of Gjerpen was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). According to the 1835 census the municipality had a population of 4,381. Gjerpen was located east of the town of Skien. It encompassed districts such as Borgestad, Bøle, Gulset, and Luksefjell. On 1 January 1856, an area of Gjerpen Municipality (population: 1,286) was annexed by the growing town of Skien. On 1 January 1903, an unpopulated area of Saude Municipality was transferred to Gjerpen. Again, on 1 July 1916, another area of Gjerpen Municipality (population: 1,332) was annexed by the growing town of Skien. Then on 1 July 1920, an area of southern Gjerpen (population: 437) was transferred to the town of Porsgrunn.