Gloria Dei Church

Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church is a historic church located at 916 South Swanson Street in Philadelphia's Queen Village neighborhood. Built between 1698 and 1700 by Swedish colonists and their descendants, it is the oldest church building in Pennsylvania and one of the oldest surviving church structures in the United States. The church stands as the most significant surviving monument to the Swedish colonial period in the Delaware Valley, a tangible link to the European settlement of the region that preceded William Penn's founding of Philadelphia by more than four decades. Gloria Dei was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1942 and continues to function as an active Episcopal parish.

Origins and Construction

The congregation of Gloria Dei traces its origins to the Swedish Lutheran churches established in New Sweden during the 1640s, including the first Lutheran church in North America at Tinicum Island. When the Swedish colony was conquered by the Dutch in 1655, and subsequently by the English in 1664, the Swedish and Finnish settlers remained in the region and maintained their Lutheran faith. By the 1690s, the growing Swedish community along the Delaware River required a substantial new church building. The site selected was in the area then known as Wicaco, a Lenape place name, in what is now Queen Village. Construction began in 1698 under the supervision of Swedish-trained carpenters, using locally fired bricks in a design influenced by Swedish church architecture.

The church was completed in 1700 and consecrated as Gloria Dei, Latin for "Glory of God," reflecting the formal ecclesiastical language of the era. The building is a modest brick structure in the late medieval Swedish style, featuring a steeply pitched roof, small windows, and a square bell tower added later. The interior follows a traditional Lutheran plan with a central pulpit emphasizing the preaching of the Word, wooden pews, and galleries along the sides. The church's construction predates the widespread adoption of Georgian architectural styles in colonial America, giving it a distinctly pre-Georgian character that reflects its Swedish origins rather than English colonial fashion.

Swedish Colonial Heritage

Gloria Dei served the Swedish and Finnish community of the Delaware Valley, drawing worshippers from settlements throughout the region. The congregation's members were descendants of the colonists who had arrived with New Sweden's various expeditions between 1638 and 1655, along with later arrivals who came to join family members or seek opportunities in the growing colony. Swedish remained the language of worship at Gloria Dei for generations, and the church maintained connections with the Church of Sweden, which sent ministers to serve the colonial congregations. The Swedish government considered these distant parishioners to remain spiritually connected to the homeland even after the political end of New Sweden.

The church building and its surrounding cemetery contain numerous artifacts and memorials from the Swedish colonial period. Old gravestones bear Swedish names and inscriptions, marking the final resting places of colonial-era settlers and their descendants. Inside the church, wooden ship models hang from the ceiling—a Swedish Lutheran tradition symbolizing the congregation as passengers on a voyage toward salvation, and perhaps also remembering the ships that brought the original colonists across the Atlantic. The baptismal font and other liturgical furnishings date to the early years of the congregation, connecting modern worshippers to centuries of continuous religious practice at this site.

Transition to Episcopal Church

During the 18th century, the Swedish Lutheran congregations of the Delaware Valley gradually transitioned to affiliation with the Anglican Church and its American successor, the Episcopal Church. Several factors drove this change. As the original Swedish-speaking population assimilated into English colonial society, the Swedish language faded from use, and younger generations increasingly identified with their English-speaking neighbors rather than a distant Swedish homeland. The Church of Sweden found it increasingly difficult to supply ministers to the American congregations. And many Swedish colonists had intermarried with English families, creating connections to the established Anglican church of colonial Pennsylvania.

The formal transition occurred over several decades during the late 18th century. By the time of the American Revolution, Gloria Dei was functioning essentially as an Anglican parish, though it retained elements of its Swedish Lutheran heritage. After American independence, the Episcopal Church emerged as the successor to the colonial Anglican establishment, and Gloria Dei joined the new denomination. The church continues as an Episcopal parish today, part of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. Despite this denominational change, Gloria Dei has carefully preserved its Swedish colonial identity, maintaining the historic building, cemetery, and traditions that connect it to the earliest European settlers of the Philadelphia region.

Historic Significance

Gloria Dei's significance extends beyond its role as a house of worship to encompass its importance as a historical and architectural monument. The building is the oldest surviving church structure in Pennsylvania and among the oldest in the nation. Its pre-Georgian architecture, brick construction, and Swedish design influences make it a unique example of colonial religious architecture, distinct from the English Georgian churches that would become typical in 18th-century Philadelphia. The church has survived more than three centuries of use, weathering fire scares, urban development, and the transformation of its neighborhood from rural farmland to dense urban residential area.

The church and its cemetery have been the site of important historical events and contain notable burials. Several signers of the Declaration of Independence have connections to the church, reflecting the prominent role that descendants of Swedish colonists played in the American Revolution. The cemetery contains graves dating to the earliest years of the congregation, providing genealogical resources for researchers tracing Swedish colonial ancestry. Archaeological investigations at the site have uncovered artifacts from the colonial period, adding to understanding of Swedish settlement in the Delaware Valley.

The Church Today

Gloria Dei continues to serve as an active Episcopal parish while also functioning as a historic site open to visitors. Regular worship services follow the Episcopal liturgy, welcoming a congregation that includes longtime Philadelphia residents and newcomers drawn by the church's historic character. The parish maintains the historic building and grounds, balancing the needs of an active worshipping community with the responsibilities of preserving a National Historic Landmark. Visitors are welcome to tour the church and cemetery, and the parish offers educational programs about the Swedish colonial heritage the church represents.

The church grounds include not only the main sanctuary but also a parish hall, rectory, and the historic cemetery. The cemetery is particularly notable, containing graves spanning more than three centuries and representing the full arc of the congregation's history from Swedish colonial times to the present. Large trees shade the graves, creating an oasis of green space in the otherwise densely built Queen Village neighborhood. The combination of active worship, historic preservation, and community gathering space makes Gloria Dei a unique institution in Philadelphia, bridging the city's Swedish colonial past and its diverse present.

Visiting Gloria Dei

Gloria Dei welcomes visitors interested in the church's history and architecture. The church is located at 916 South Swanson Street in Queen Village, accessible by public transportation and with limited street parking nearby. The sanctuary is typically open for self-guided tours during daylight hours when services are not in progress, and the grounds and cemetery are accessible throughout the day. The parish offers guided tours by appointment for groups interested in more detailed historical information. Special events, including Swedish heritage celebrations, occur periodically and draw visitors interested in the church's colonial origins.

The church is listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, the National Register of Historic Places, and as a National Historic Landmark. These designations recognize Gloria Dei's exceptional significance in American history and ensure protection for the historic structure. For visitors seeking to understand the pre-Penn European history of Philadelphia, Gloria Dei offers the most substantial and accessible physical connection to the Swedish colonial period. The church stands as proof that the history of European settlement in the Philadelphia region extends back to the 1630s, decades before William Penn's arrival, and that the descendants of those earliest settlers have maintained a continuous presence here ever since.

See Also

• New Sweden
• Tinicum Island
• Queen Village
• Lenape People