Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church
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Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church
National Historic Site |
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(2014)
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Location in metropolitan Philadelphia
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| Location | 929 South Water Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| Coordinates | 39°56′04″N 75°08′37″W / 39.9345°N 75.1435°WCoordinates: 39°56′04″N 75°08′37″W / 39.9345°N 75.1435°W |
| Area | 3.7 acres (1.5 ha) |
| Built | 1678-1700 additions: 1703, c.1733 |
| Architectural style | English vernacular |
| Website | Official site |
| NRHP Reference # | 66000682 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated PHMC | December 17, 1954 |
Gloria Dei Church, known locally as Old Swedes', is a historic church located in the Southwark neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 929 South Water Street, bounded by Christian Street on the north, South Christopher Columbus Boulevard (formerly Delaware Street) on the east, and Washington Avenue on the south. It was built between 1698 and 1700, making it the oldest church in Pennsylvania and second oldest Swedish church in the United States after Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes) in Wilmington, Delaware.
The carpenters for the building were John Smart and John Buett and bricks were supplied by Richard Cantril. The church displays the English vernacular style of church design, which combines elements of the Medieval and Gothic styles. The church's vestry and entranceway were added in 1703 to buttress the walls, which had begun to buckle under the weight of the roof. The tower was added c.1733, and interior alterations were made in 1845, designed by Samuel Sloan.
The congregation dates to 1677, five years before the founding of the city of Philadelphia, and the graveyard around the church to about the same time. Formerly a Swedish Lutheran congregation, the church has been Episcopalian since 1845.
Gloria Dei is the oldest church in Pennsylvania and second oldest Swedish church in the United States after Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes) in Wilmington, Delaware. Swedish pioneers of New Sweden were the first to settle the area in 1646. An existing blockhouse at Wicaco (now South Philadelphia), had been renovated for worship in 1677 and was used until the present church (built beginning in 1697) was consecrated on the First Sunday after Trinity, July 2, 1700. A fire destroyed many of the church records in 1740. Colonial painter Gustavus Hesselius was a member here.
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