Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes)

Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes)
Location:	E. 7th St. and Church St., Wilmington, Delaware
Coordinates:	39°44′18.14″N 75°32′26.48″W
Built:	1698
Architect:	Multiple
Architectural style:	No Style Listed
Governing body:	Private
NRHP Reference#:	66000261
Significant dates
Added to NRHP:	October 15, 1966
Designated NHL:	November 5, 1961

Holy Trinity Church, also known as Old Swedes is a church in Wilmington, Delaware that is a National Historic Landmark. It was dedicated on July 4, 1699.

History

Interior of Old Swedes Church. From the Historic American Buildings Survey, Edward M. Rosenfeld, Photographer, April 20, 1934

The church was built in 1698–99 in the Swedish colony of New Sweden from local blue granite and Swedish bricks that had been used as ship's ballast. The church was situated on the site of the Fort Christina's burial ground, which dates to 1638. It is claimed that it is "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 the Swedish language well into the 18th century.

The church has housed an Episcopal parish since 1791 and is now part of the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware. An earlier church in New Sweden was built in Swanwyck, near New Castle about 1662 which was replaced by a combined church and fort at Crane Hook in 1667.

In 1958 the historic Hendrickson House was moved to the grounds of the church. The church building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961. Trinity Parish operates two church buildings in Wilmington, both listed on the NRHP: the main building on North Adams, and Old Swedes at East 7th and Church Streets.

Burials in churchyard

Notable burials include:

• Alexis Irenee du Pont Bayard (1918–1985), Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
• Elizabeth Bradford du Pont Bayard (1880–1975)
• James A. Bayard (1799–1880), U.S. Senator
• Richard Bayard (1796–1868), first Mayor of Wilmington, U.S. Senator
• Thomas F. Bayard, Sr. (1828–1898), Secretary of State under President Cleveland
• Thomas F. Bayard, Jr. (1868–1942), U.S. Senator
• Dr. Joseph Capelle, a Revolutionary War veteran
• Catharina and Britta Cock (d. 1726)
• Frank Martine Heal
• Major Peter Jaquett, a Revolutionary War veteran
• The Right Reverend Alfred Lee, first Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware
• Ignatius Grubb (1841–1927), Justice of Delaware state supreme court.
• Captain Hugh Montgomery, Captain of the Brig Nancy, first ship to fly the American Flag in a foreign port
• Elizabeth Montgomery, daughter of Capt. Hugh Montgomery
• Charles Springer, first Warden
• William Vandever (d. 1718), grave marked with the oldest legible stone
• Mary Vining, Belle of the American Revolutionary period
• Samuel White (1770–1809), U.S. Senator
• James Harrison Wilson (1837–1925) Union general in the Civil War

See also

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"

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

External links

• Old Swedes Foundation website
• Trinity Parish website
• Swedish Colonial Society
• History of Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church 1697-1773
• Historic Churches of American by Nellie Urner Wallington, 1907.
• Holy Trinity Church, Seventh & Church Street, Wilmington, New Castle County, DE: 8 photos, 7 drawings, 6 data pages and supplemental material, at Historic American Building Survey