Old Swedes Church - Wilmington, Delaware
Back to 1638, when Swedish and Finnish settlers arrived on the Kalmar Nyckel and Fogel Grip and established Fort Christina in what is now Wilmington, Delaware. The Old Swedes site was used as a burial ground for the Fort, but also may have been used earlier by the Lenape Native Americans. Constructed between 1698-1699 the Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church was to serve the Swedish community that remained in the English colony of Pennsylvania after Swedish Lutheran missionary Erik Björk arrived in 1697.
Old Swedes Church is one of the very few surviving remnants of the New Sweden Colony in the Delaware Valley, and one of the oldest structures in Delaware.
Old Swede Church Wilmington Delaware
Visit to Old Swede Church Wilmington Delaware where one of my ancestors is buried. Thomas Coxe buried here in 1801.
Old Swedes Church joins First State National Park
Built in the late 1600's, the Wilmington church is now officially part of Delaware's long awaited National Park.
Swedish colonists started building the church in 1698 and it was completed a year later. It is the oldest church in the United States that still stands as originally built and is still in use as a house of worship.
When visitors tour these grounds they are linked with that past, said Rev. Patricia Downing, Rector of Trinity Parish which holds services at the church. Old Swedes Church is not a monument to the past only. It is a vibrant living place.
Old Swedes Church Wilmington Delaware WGN building Chicago
Historians and Kalmar Nyckel crewmembers will recognize The Old Swedes Church, Wilmington DE, immortalized in the Tribune Tower in Chicago, with many other world historical sites like Petra, the Taj Mahal and the Twin Towers.
WITN's 'Big Picture' presents Old Swedes Church Joins First State National Historical Park
(ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE - Katie Wilson (Carper)
Old Swedes Church to Join First State National Historical Park
WILMINGTON, Del. – On Monday, May 11, 2015, at 10 a.m. at Old Swedes Church, the Reverend Patricia Downing, Rector of Trinity Parish, will sign the cooperative easement agreement adding Old Swedes Church to the First State National Historical Park. Senator Carper, the driving force behind the Park’s creation, will also attend.
When: Monday May 11, 2015
Time: 10 – 10:45 a.m.
Where: Old Swedes Church, 606 N. Church Street, Wilmington, DE 19801
Press parking in the parking lot off Church
Old Swedes Church, in Wilmington, Delaware, is the oldest church in the United States standing as originally built and still in use as a house of worship. It was erected in 1698–1699 by descendants of the Swedish colonists who crossed the Atlantic aboard the Kalmar Nyckel in 1638. The pulpit is the oldest known pulpit in the United States. Reflecting over three hundred years of American history, Old Swedes Church has a unique story to share.
“We have worked with Senator Carper and the National Park Service for nearly a decade to make this day a reality,” said Rev. Downing. “Today, we add a jewel in the heart of Wilmington to Delaware’s National Historical Park. Fifteen generations have worshiped in and preserved Old Swedes Church. We are now preserving it for the generations who follow us, both as an active church, and as a place to celebrate Delaware’s history.”
“Our dream of telling Delaware’s important story in the settlement and founding of our country is coming true,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Carper. “I am so thrilled that Old Swedes Church is a part of Delaware’s National Park so visitors from near and far will learn about life for the early settlers of our great nation.”
On December 9th, 2014, Congress approved the First State National Historical Park Act of 2013, creating the first and only national park in Delaware. The legislation that passed incorporated Old Swedes Church, along with three other new sites (Fort Christina, John Dickinson Plantation, and the Ryves Hold House) into First State NHP. The legislation also officially changed First State National Monument in Delaware to First State National Historical Park. Similar to the national monument, the First State National Historical Park will focus on Delaware’s history, from early Dutch, Swedish and English settlements through Delaware becoming the first state.
“Old Swedes Church is an imperative addition to the First State National Historical Park,” said Ethan McKinley, Superintendent of the First State National Historical Park. “Old Swedes links Delaware to the earliest days of its existence as a colonial settlement, and Delaware’s history echoes from every stone, grave marker, and pew.”
Where In Wilmington - July 2010 - The Rocks and Old Swedes Church
Wilmington - In the Middle of it All is a joint production of the City Council and the Mayor's office in Wilmington, DE. This segment, hosted by Rich Neumann, explores the early history of the Swedish settlers in Wilmington. Originally aired in May 2010. Edited by Paul Kennard.
Old Swedes Foundation Landing Day Services Wilmington DE 2009
Old Swedes Foundation Landing Day Services speech excerpts from March 29, 2009 in Wilmington Delaware. See for complete blog. Governor Jack Markell and Wilmington Mayor James Baker speaking in Fort Christina Park along the Christina River.
1950s PROFILE OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE THE DELAWARE STORY 54444
The Diamond State Telephone Company presents “The Delaware Story” — “the story of a free people in a free land.” The 1950s color film provides the viewer with historical, economic, and cultural information on the “Diamond State” (a nickname bestowed by Thomas Jefferson, we’re told at mark 00:40). Through color illustrations the film discusses the Native Americans who once called the area home (mark 01:07), the destruction of a 1631 Dutch Colony, and the development of other colonies in the region by Dutch and Swedish settlers. We see Old Swedes Church (Holy Trinity Church), consecrated in 1699 in Wilmington, at mark 02:45, and we look at drawings of some early log cabins before learning about the role Caesar Rodney played President of Delaware during most of the American Revolution (mark 03:55), as well as the colony’s role during the war and eventual statehood. There is talk of Delaware’s spiritual heritage with unfolding scenes from nature and various places of worship. Kids and adults are shown fishing, playing at the beach, or enjoying time at amusement parks at mark 08:00 as the refers to the state as “the nation’s summer capital.” The film touts Delaware’s art culture by showing us the Wilmington Art Center (mark 08:37) and later re-enactments from Colonial life before looking at some of its rich architectural designs starting near mark 09:45. In praising the state’s dedication to education, students stroll the grounds at the University of Delaware (mark 11:18) and Delaware State College, and we later learn of the state’s rich history of material trade (mark 12:05). At mark 14:25 the film tells us the history of the first telephone service in Delaware, dating to 1878, before reviewing various industries that call “The First State” home, as well as small, local businesses (mark 17:50) as we see scenes from bakeries, jewelry stores, and other shops, as well as farms that produce countless crops and costal waters that provide seafood (mark 19:35). Cars speed across the Delaware Memorial Bridge (mark 21:28) as the picture changes its focus to transportation and its population boom.
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The Rocks at Old Swedes Landing
In September of 2012, Delaware's Division of Historical & Cultural Affairs partnered with DNREC and John Milner Associates to perform a Geomorphological Assessment at Fort Christina Park in Wilmington, Delaware. In this video, the team discovers granite beneath the soil that could be the legendary landing point of the Swedes in 1638.
The Delaware Division of Historical & Cultural Affairs promotes and protects Delaware's historic identity through leadership in museums, collections, historic preservation and stewardship in historic properties.
Colonial Day at Old Swedes May 2015
On May 2, 2015 Old Swedes Church brought back Colonial Day. This event was highly popular in the Philadelphia Community in the 1930s and 40s. This re-imagined event in support of Historic Preservation at Old Swedes, celebrated our Swedish and American Colonial history.
Life in New Sweden
An 8-minute synopsis of Life in New Sweden, the Swedish colony that brought the first European settlers to the Delaware Valley. The complete video is available at ColonialNewSweden.org.
Old Swedes Church
Comp 121 Trip to Church
Old Swede's Church in Philadelphia
Old Swede's Church in Philadelphia
New Sweden Centre settler trunks
An overview of the activities of the New Sweden Centre of Wilmington, Del. Our museum without walls is now offering settlers trunks, an educational aid to teaching Swedish history in the Delaware Valley.
302 Show #26 (Season 1): Old Swedes Church | Full Show
The 302 takes a tour of the historic Old Swedes Church in Wilmington.
Episode 126 (Season 1 - Episode 26)
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Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington (Lenape: Paxahakink, Pakehakink) is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley metropolitan area. Wilmington was named by Proprietor Thomas Penn after his friend Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, who was prime minister in the reign of George II of Great Britain.
According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 70,851, a decrease of 2.4% from 2000.
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2012 Delaware State of the State
Governor Jack Markell's fourth State of the State address today made clear that to lead in the future, Delaware must stay focused now on creating more jobs, making our schools stronger and governing responsibly. In the speech in the House Chamber, Markell offered new proposals in each critical area and updated the legislature on some successful efforts underway to get people back to work, ensure more Delaware children graduate ready to succeed and make government a sounder steward of state resources.
View the Text Transcript:
325th Anniv. of the First Swedish Landing in America, Part 4 of 4
In 1638, the Swedes first landed at what is now Fort Christina in Wilmington, Delaware. This is a video from WRCV-TV of the landing commemoration celebrations in 1963.
Fort Christina National Landmark Re-Opening
Federal, state and local officals held a ribbon cutting for the Fort Christina National Landmark Re-Opening on July 19, 2016 at the park in the city of Wilmington. U.S. Senator Thomas R. Carper led the effort to create a national park in Delaware, which includes Fort Christina. The National Park Service, the Old Swedes Foundation, Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, Riverfront Development Corporation and the Delaware Department of State Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs have partnered to educate the public about Wilmington's connection to the Christina River.
325th Anniv. of the First Swedish Landing in America, Part 3 of 4
In 1638, the Swedes first landed at what is now Fort Christina in Wilmington, Delaware. This is a video from WRCV-TV of the landing commemoration celebrations in 1963.