Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church

Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church is a historic Episcopal church in Philadelphia associated with Swedish colonists of New Sweden. The present stone church building dates to the early 18th century and is often called Old Swedes’ Church.

The site includes an interior with period woodwork and box pews and a churchyard with historic gravestones from the colonial era. Interpretive materials describe the Swedish congregation, colonial worship practices, and the site’s continuous use.

Originally founded by Swedish Lutheran settlers of the New Sweden colony, the congregation and building later became part of the Episcopal tradition while retaining its historic fabric. The church has been preserved for its architectural and cultural significance.

Gloria Dei sits along the Delaware River in Philadelphia’s Southwark neighborhood, in the area historically associated with the early Swedish settlement.

• Founding era: The congregation traces to the Swedish settlers of New Sweden and the existing stone church building dates from the early 18th century.
• Historical distinction: The church is commonly known as Old Swedes' and is recognized as the oldest surviving church structure in Pennsylvania dating to the colonial period.

What to See #

• Nave and chancel: The church interior contains original 18th-century woodwork, box pews, and an early wooden pulpit dating to the period of construction.
• Churchyard and burial ground: A historic churchyard with gravestones dating to the 17th and 18th centuries that records the burials of Swedish colonists and early Philadelphia residents.