Gloria Dei Church National Historic Site

National Park Service, Pennsylvania.

Before Pennsylvania there was New Sweden. Discover this last historic link to a forgotten past. Visit the church's pastoral surroundings and its burial ground of patriots and ordinary citizens alike.


Directions

The Gloria Dei Church is accessed from Christian Street in South Philadelphia. As in any city, use your street smarts and do not leave any valuables visible in your car. Several SEPTA bus routes serve the vicinity of the site. Visit the website for more information.

Additional Information

  • Gloria Dei Church National Historic Site Official Website
  • Gloria Dei Church National Historic Site Map

Photo Gallery

  • Steeple of the Gloira Dei ChurchThe church building at Gloria Dei 'Old Swedes' has been in use since 1700, making it the oldest church building in Pennsylvania and the second oldest in the United States. The steeple was completed in 1703.
  • Gloria Dei Chuch yardGloria Dei Church was designated as a National Historical Site in 1942. The Gloria Dei congregation owns and maintains the church and the related buildings, its ministry and the grounds.
  • Interior of the Gloria Dei ChurchSituated above the pulpit is the only stained glass window in the church building. Created in the mid 1800s, the window is the earliest example of American stained glass among the 3600 windows in the Philadelphia region.
  • Model of a ship hanging inside Gloria Dei ChurchHanging from the ceiling of Gloria Dei are models of the two ships that brought the first Swedish colonists to North America in 1638, the "Kalmar Nyckel" and the "Fogel Gryp."
  • The Gloria Dei Church c.1850This 1850s photograph shows a bird's-eye view of the Gloria Dei Church, with the cemetery in the foreground and the masts of ships visible in the background.

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