Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church | |
 Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes) in June 2013 | |
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| Location | E. 7th St. and Church St.,Wilmington, Delaware |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°44′18.7″N75°32′26.0″W / 39.738528°N 75.540556°W /39.738528; -75.540556 |
| Built | 1698 (1698) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000261 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966[1] |
| Designated NHL | November 5, 1961[2] |
Holy Trinity Church, also known asOld Swedes, is a historic church at East 7th and Church Street inWilmington, Delaware. It was consecrated onTrinity Sunday, June 4, 1699, by a predominantly Swedish congregation formerly of the colony ofNew Sweden.[3] The church is among the few surviving public buildings that reflect the Swedish colonial effort. It remains open for tours and religious activities. The church was designated aNational Historic Landmark in 1961 and became part ofFirst State National Historical Park in 2013. The church appears on the obverse of the 1937Delaware Tercentenary half dollar.
The church reported 822 members in 2021 and 436 members in 2023; no membership statistics were reported in 2024 parochial reports. Plate and pledge income reported for the congregation in 2024 was $367,899 with average Sunday attendance (ASA) of 127 persons.[4]
The church was built in 1698–99 in territory that had been the colony ofNew Sweden until 1655. The building materials were local blue granite and Swedish bricks that had been used as ship'sballast. The church is situated on the site of theFort Christina's burial ground, which dates to 1638. The church claims to be "the nation's oldest church building still used for worship as originally built". There are reportedly over 15,000 burials in the churchyard.Lutheran church services were held in theSwedish language well into the 18th century.[5]
John Hansson Steelman provided significant donations which enabled the construction of the church, including £320 for the purchase of land for the church at Fort Christina and for the building of the church, £220 by loans and £100 by gift he received in return the promise that he and his wife would be buried within the church, which was not done, as they moved to Pennsylvania in the 1730s.[6]
In 1697, theChurch of Sweden renewed its commitment to Swedish settlers in theDelaware Valley and sent three missionaries, Jonas Auren,Eric Bjork, andAndreas Rudman, to the area.[7] A total of three churches with similar architecture were built or established by Swedish communities in the area about the same time. All are generally known as "Old Swedes" and later joined theEpiscopal Church.Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church inPhiladelphia was founded in 1697 and the building was completed in 1700.Trinity Church inSwedesboro, New Jersey was founded in 1703, with its current building completed in 1784.
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Five other Swedish churches were founded in the 18th century:St. Mary Anne's Episcopal Church inNorth East, Maryland;Old St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church inDouglassville, Pennsylvania; St. George's Episcopal inChurchtown, New Jersey;St. James Kingsessing in Philadelphia; and Christ Church (Old Swedes) inUpper Merion Township, Pennsylvania.[7]
Holy Trinity in Wilmington has housed an Episcopal parish since 1791 and is now part of theEpiscopal Diocese of Delaware. An earlier church in New Sweden was built in Swanwyck, nearNew Castle about 1662, which was replaced by a combined church and fort at Crane Hook in 1667.[8] In 1958, the historicHendrickson House was moved to the grounds of the church. The church building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961.[2][9] Trinity Parish operates two church buildings in Wilmington, both listed on theNational Register of Historic Places: themain building on North Adams,[10] and Old Swedes at East 7th and Church Streets.
Notable burials include:
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