Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church

Not many people think of Sweden as a major player in the development of colonial North American; however, from Philadelphia, through southern New Jersey, into northern Delaware, Swedish immigrants came to the New World and established thriving communities. The relationship between the Swedes and the native Lenape Indians was generally good and the colony was generally accepting of all people. Although there is a major museum in Philadelphia, and a few smaller museums in the region, the history of Swedish colonies is virtually unknown to most Americans. During our visit to the church, one of the guides noted that Swedes had been in the region long before William Penn came.

Holy Trinity Church of Wilmington, Delaware, located along the banks of Brandywine Creek and the Christina River, is evidence of that Swedish-American history. The congregation of the church dates back to 1640. The current stone church was built in the burial grounds of Fort Christina beginning in 1697, at the direction of Eric Björk a young pastor sent from Sweden by the King. The church was dedicated on Holy Trinity Sunday, 4 July 1699, making it the only 17th-century church still operating as a congregation in the United States.