Old Swedes'

Old Swedes' is the oldest church building in Pennsylvania. Its initial congregation descended from Swedish Lutheran colonists who came to New Sweden in 1643 as a Christian community, bringing their pastor Jacob Fabritius, the baptismal font still in use, and church decorations including the large carving of cherubim and Bible on the front of the organ loft. Worship began in 1677 in a wooden blockhouse adapted on the site, and the present brick church replaced it in 1700, built with a pattern of Flemish bond and black headers. By 1703 the tower was completed, along with two transept-like additions on the north and south walls for support. After the War of the Revolution, the six Swedish Lutheran congregations in America received permission from the bishop of Uppsala to elect their own pastors; most joined the emerging Episcopal Church immediately, but Gloria Dei did not do so until 1845. After the death of Nils Collin, the last Swedish missionary, Jehu Curtis Clay, an Episcopal priest, became pastor, and under his leadership the congregation experienced a major renaissance. Growing attendance led to expanded seating, and in 1846 major alterations included a new balcony, a raised floor probably to address moisture problems, interior wainscoting, replacement of the original casement windows with the present double-hung sash, two added second-floor windows to light the balcony, and installation of the present stained glass window behind the pulpit. A new rectory and sexton's house had been built in the 1830s, the parish hall dates from the 1860s, and the building on Water Street from the 1960s. During the ministry of Dr. John Craig Roak from 1933 to 1972, Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church was designated a National Historic Site in 1942, and Congress authorized the National Park Service to improve the church's surroundings. Properties to the north and south were purchased in the 1950s, existing structures were removed in the 1960s, and the present landscaping and walls were added in the 1970s. Gloria Dei remains an independent institution of the Episcopal Church, funding its own programs, maintaining its own property, and serving a small but active worshiping community.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · United States