Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church facts for kids

Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church National Historic Site
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
(2014)
Location in Philadelphia Show map of Philadelphia Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	929 South Water Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Area	3.7 acres (1.5 ha)
Built	1678–1700 additions: 1703, c. 1733
Architectural style	English vernacular
Website	Official site: http://www.old-swedes.org
NRHP reference No.	66000682
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966

Gloria Dei Church, often called Old Swedes', is a very old church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. You can find it at 929 South Water Street. It was built between 1698 and 1700. This makes it the oldest church in Pennsylvania. It is also the second oldest Swedish church in the United States. The only older one is Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes) in Wilmington, Delaware.

John Smart and John Buett were the carpenters who built the church. Richard Cantril supplied the bricks. The church looks like an old English building. It mixes styles from the Medieval and Gothic times. In 1703, a vestry (a room for clergy) and an entrance were added. This helped support the walls, which were starting to bend. The church tower was added around 1733. Later, in 1845, the inside was changed by an architect named Samuel Sloan.

The church community started in 1677. This was five years before the city of Philadelphia was even founded! The graveyard around the church is also very old. It started around the same time. Gloria Dei Church was first a Swedish Lutheran church. But since 1845, it has been an Episcopalian church.

Discovering Gloria Dei Church's History

The Reverend Jehu Curtis Clay in the churchyard (around 1860)

Gloria Dei is the oldest church in Pennsylvania. It is also the second oldest Swedish church in the United States. The oldest is Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes) in Wilmington, Delaware. Swedish pioneers were the first to settle in this area in 1646.

An old blockhouse (a small fort) in a place called Wicaco was used for worship in 1677. This was used until the current church was finished. The new church building started in 1697. It was officially opened on July 2, 1700. Sadly, a fire in 1740 destroyed many church records. A famous colonial painter, Gustavus Hesselius, was a member here.

In 1703, Gloria Dei was the site of a special event. It was the first regular Lutheran ordination in the Americas. This is when a person becomes a minister. The person was Justus Falckner, a German student of religion. The famous singer Jenny Lind sang here during one of her tours in America. A beautiful Swedish chandelier hangs in the center aisle. It was a gift from the famous Swedish artist Carl Milles.

The church has many memories of visits from Swedish royal family members and bishops. You can also see models of Fogel Grip and Kalmar Nyckel. These were the first Swedish ships to arrive in the New Sweden colony.

The church has a collection of old and important items. These include bronze crosses and Bibles from the 1700s in Swedish and English. In 1845, the church community joined the Episcopal Church. Today, the church is still owned and cared for by its Episcopalian members.

The church was named a National Historic Site on November 17, 1942. This means it is a very important historical place. It is connected to the National Park Service through Independence National Historical Park. The church site is managed by the Corporation of Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.

Exploring the Historic Cemetery

Part of the graveyard (2014)

The church cemetery is a resting place for many important people. Here are some of them:

• Sven Gunnarsson (died 1678): He was one of the first people buried here. He was also a founder of the New Sweden colony.
• John C. Hunterson (1841-1927): A soldier from the Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for his bravery.
• William Irvine (1741–1804): An officer in the Revolutionary War and a doctor.
• George Ord, Sr. (died 1806): An adventurer and sea captain during the Revolutionary War.
• George Ord, Jr. (1781–1866): A scientist who studied birds.
• James Peale (1749–1831): A Revolutionary War officer and an artist. He was the brother of Charles Willson Peale.
• Sarah Miriam Peale (1800–1885): A portrait painter and daughter of James Peale.
• Alexander Wilson (1766–1813): Another scientist who studied birds and drew pictures of them.
• Amandus Johnson (1877–1974): A Swedish-American scholar. He started the American Swedish Historical Museum.
• Peter Gunnarsson Rambo (1611–1698): A Swedish immigrant known as the "Father of New Sweden".
• Richard Cantril (1666-1753): A brickmaker who supplied bricks and helped build the church.

There is also a special memorial here for John Hanson. He was a President of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution.

Images for kids

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  Church interior with balcony and organ

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  Architectural drawing of the church's west and east sides

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  Drawing of the church's south side

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  Floor plans of the first floor and balcony

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  WPA poster promoting the church as a Philadelphia destination

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  National Historic Site plaque on the church wall

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  Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission marker