Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes) facts for kids

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
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
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. The first people who worshipped here were mostly from New Sweden, a colony started by Swedes.

This church is a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important historical place in the United States. It's one of the few old buildings left that shows us about the Swedish people who settled here long ago. Today, the church is part of First State National Historical Park. Many visitors come to see it, and it's still used for church services and tours.

You can even see the church on a special coin! It's on the front of the 1937 Delaware Tercentenary half dollar.

A Look Back: The Church's History

This church was built between 1698 and 1699. This area used to be the colony of New Sweden until 1655. The builders used local blue granite stone. They also used Swedish bricks that came over on ships. These bricks were used as ballast, which means they helped keep the ships steady in the water.

The church stands on the site of an old burial ground from Fort Christina. This burial ground dates all the way back to 1638. People say this church is "the nation's oldest church building still used for worship as originally built." There are more than 15,000 burials in the churchyard. For many years, church services were held in the Swedish language.

A man named John Hansson Steelman gave a lot of money to help build the church. He donated £320 to buy the land and build the church. He wanted to be buried inside the church, but he moved away before that could happen.

Swedish Churches in America

In 1697, the Church of Sweden decided to help Swedish settlers in the Delaware Valley. They sent three missionaries to the area. Around this time, three churches with similar designs were built by Swedish communities. All of them are known as "Old Swedes" churches. Later, they joined the Episcopal Church.

• Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church in Philadelphia was started in 1697. Its building was finished in 1700.
• Trinity Church in Swedesboro, New Jersey began in 1703. Its current building was finished in 1784.

An architectural drawing of the church from the HABS.

Five more Swedish churches were started in the 1700s. These include churches in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Holy Trinity Church in Wilmington has been an Episcopal church since 1791. It is now part of the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware. In 1958, an old house called the Hendrickson House was moved to the church grounds. The church building was 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.

People Buried in the Churchyard

Many important people are buried in the churchyard. Here are a few:

• Alexis Irenee du Pont Bayard (1918–1985): He was a lieutenant governor of Delaware. A lieutenant governor is like a vice-president for a state.
• James A. Bayard (1799–1880): He was a U.S. Senator. A U.S. Senator helps make laws for the country.
• Richard Bayard (1796–1868): He was the first mayor of Wilmington and also a U.S. Senator.
• Thomas F. Bayard, Sr. (1828–1898): He was a secretary of state for the country under President Cleveland. A secretary of state handles foreign affairs.
• Thomas F. Bayard, Jr. (1868–1942): He was also a U.S. Senator.
• Dr. Joseph Capelle: He was a veteran from the Revolutionary War. A veteran is someone who served in the military.
• Major Peter Jaquett: He was also a veteran from the Revolutionary War.
• The Right Reverend Alfred Lee: He was the first bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware. A bishop is a high-ranking church leader.
• Ignatius Grubb (1841–1927): He was a justice of the Delaware State Supreme Court. A justice is a judge.
• George R. McLane (1819–1855): He was an American physician (doctor) and politician.
• Captain Hugh Montgomery: He was the captain of a ship called the Nancy. He was the first person to raise the American flag in a foreign port.
• Hans Jurgen Smidt (1696-1753) and Mary Stalcop (1696-1750): They were ancestors of Devil Anse Hatfield. He was famous from the Hatfield–McCoy feud, a long-running family disagreement.
• Carl Christopher Springer: He was the church's first warden, a person who helps manage the church.
• William Vandever (d. 1718): His grave has the oldest stone that you can still read.
• Samuel White (1770–1809): He was a U.S. Senator.
• James Harrison Wilson (1837–1925): He was a Union general in the Civil War. A general is a high-ranking military officer.

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  "Swede's Church" by John Sartain (1845)

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  Inside Old Swedes Church. Photo from the Historic American Buildings Survey, 1934.

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  Iron letters on the east wall of the church from 1698. They spell out a Latin phrase that means "Light from on high shines in the darkness."

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  Old Swedes Church shown on the 1937 Delaware Tercentenary half dollar coin.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Wilmington, Delaware
• List of National Historic Landmarks in Delaware
• New Sweden
• List of the oldest buildings in Delaware
• List of cemeteries in Delaware
• Oldest churches in the United States
• Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church — another "Old Swedes" church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania