Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church

Step inside Pennsylvania's oldest church, built by Swedish settlers around 1700, and walk its colonial churchyard in South Philadelphia.

916 S. Swanson Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147 · Philadelphia, PA

About Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church

Gloria Dei, known locally as Old Swedes', was built between 1698 and 1700 by a congregation founded by settlers of New Sweden. It is the oldest church building in Pennsylvania and a National Historic Site affiliated with Independence National Historical Park. Inside, models of the Kalmar Nyckel and Fogel Grip, the ships that carried the first Swedish colonists, hang from the ceiling. The churchyard is always open, and the church is a short ride from Independence Hall.

#historic church
#colonial history
#churchyard
#new sweden
#south philadelphia

What's around here?

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