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.
Steeple of the Gloira Dei Church
The 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 yard
Gloria 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 Church
Situated 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 Church
Hanging 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.1850
This 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.
