Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes) Facts for Kids

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Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark

Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes) in June 2013
Location in Delaware Show map of Delaware Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	E. 7th St. and Church St., Wilmington, Delaware
Built	1698 (1698)
NRHP reference No.	66000261
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHL	November 5, 1961

Holy Trinity Church, also known as Old Swedes, is a very old church in Wilmington, Delaware. It was officially opened on June 4, 1699. A group of people from New Sweden, which was a Swedish colony long ago, built and used this church. It's one of the few buildings left that shows us what Swedish life was like back then.

Today, you can still visit the church for tours and religious services. In 1961, it was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important historical place in the United States. In 2013, it became part of First State National Historical Park. The church also appears on a special coin from 1937, called the Delaware Tercentenary half dollar.

History of Old Swedes Church
Notable Burials in the Churchyard
See also

History of Old Swedes Church

Building the Church in New Sweden

The church was built between 1698 and 1699. This area used to be a Swedish colony called New Sweden until 1655. The builders used local blue granite for the walls. They also used Swedish bricks. These bricks were brought over on ships as ballast, which helped keep the ships steady.

The church stands on the site of an old burial ground. This burial ground was part of Fort Christina and dates back to 1638. The church proudly states it is "the nation's oldest church building still used for worship as originally built." More than 15,000 people are buried in the churchyard. For many years, Lutheran church services were held in the Swedish language.

Who Helped Build It?

A person named John Hansson Steelman gave a lot of money to help build the church. He donated £320 to buy the land and construct the building. He gave £100 as a gift and loaned £220. In return, he was promised that he and his wife would be buried inside the church. However, they moved to Pennsylvania in the 1730s, so they were not buried there.

Swedish Churches in America

In 1697, the Church of Sweden decided to help Swedish settlers in the Delaware Valley. They sent three missionaries: Jonas Auren, Eric Bjork, and Andreas Rudman. Around the same time, three churches with similar designs were built by Swedish communities in the area. All of them are known as "Old Swedes." Later, these churches joined the Episcopal Church.

One of these churches is Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church in Philadelphia. It was started in 1697, and its building was finished in 1700. Another is Trinity Church in Swedesboro, New Jersey. It was founded in 1703, and its current building was completed in 1784.

HABS architectural drawing of the church

Five other Swedish churches were also started in the 1700s. These include St. Mary Anne's Episcopal Church in North East, Maryland, and Old St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church in Douglassville, Pennsylvania. Others are St. George's Episcopal in Churchtown, New Jersey, St. James Kingsessing in Philadelphia, and Christ Church (Old Swedes) in Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania.

Later Years of Holy Trinity Church

Holy Trinity Church in Wilmington has been an Episcopal church since 1791. It is now part of the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware. Before this church, an earlier Swedish church was built near New Castle around 1662. This was later replaced by a church and fort at Crane Hook in 1667.

In 1958, a historic building called the Hendrickson House was moved to the church grounds. The church building was officially named a National Historic Landmark in 1961. Trinity Parish has two church buildings in Wilmington. Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These are the main building on North Adams and Old Swedes at East 7th and Church Streets.

Notable Burials in the Churchyard

Many important people are buried in the churchyard of Holy Trinity Church. Here are some of them:

Alexis Irenee du Pont Bayard (1918–1985), who was a lieutenant governor of Delaware.
Elizabeth Bradford du Pont Bayard (1880–1975).
James A. Bayard (1799–1880), a U.S. Senator.
Richard Bayard (1796–1868), the first mayor of Wilmington and also a U.S. Senator.
Thomas F. Bayard, Sr. (1828–1898), who served as the Secretary of State under President Cleveland.
Thomas F. Bayard, Jr. (1868–1942), another U.S. Senator.
Dr. Joseph Capelle, a soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War.
Catharina and Britta Cock (died 1726).
Major Peter Jaquett, another veteran of the Revolutionary War.
The Right Reverend Alfred Lee, who was the first bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware.
Ignatius Grubb (1841–1927), a justice on the Delaware State Supreme Court.
George R. McLane (1819–1855), an American doctor and politician.
Captain Hugh Montgomery, who was the captain of the ship Nancy. He was famous for raising the first American flag in a foreign port.
Elizabeth Montgomery, Captain Hugh Montgomery's daughter.
Hans Jurgen Smidt (1696-1753) and Mary Stalcop (1696-1750), who were ancestors of a person involved in the famous Hatfield-McCoy family dispute.
Carl Christopher Springer, the church's first warden.
William Vandever (died 1718), whose grave has the oldest stone that can still be read.
Samuel White (1770–1809), a U.S. Senator.
James Harrison Wilson (1837–1925), a Union general during the Civil War.

"Swede's Church" by John Sartain (1845)
Interior of Old Swedes Church. From the Historic American Buildings Survey, Edward M. Rosenfeld, Photographer, April 20, 1934
Iron letters on the east wall of the church dating from 1698, spelling in Latin "LUX-L.I. TENEBR ORIENS- EX ALTO" which translates to "Light from on high shines in the darkness"
Old Swedes Church depicted on the 1937 Delaware Tercentenary half dollar

Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes) facts for kids

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