Trinity Church, also known as Old Swedes' Church, is a historic church on the northwest corner of Church Street and King's Highway in Swedesboro in Gloucester County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. The congregation was founded as a Swedish Lutheran parish in 1703, after local residents tired of crossing the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

to worship. The first minister, Lars Tollstadius, arrived in the area in 1701. The church was the first Swedish congregation in New Jersey and originally it worshiped in a log building. Services were held in Swedish until 1784. The building was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1973 for its significance in architecture and religion. With

History

In 1641,

Peter Hollander Ridder Peter Hollander Ridder (1608–1692) was the governor of the Swedish colony of New Sweden from 1640 until 1643. Peter Hollander Ridder's father was a Dutchman living in Ekenäs, Finland. Peter Hollander Ridder was serving in the Swedish Navy whe ...

, the second governor of

New Sweden New Sweden ( sv, Nya Sverige) was a Swedish colony along the lower reaches of the Delaware River in what is now the United States from 1638 to 1655, established during the Thirty Years' War when Sweden was a great military power. New Sweden form ...

purchased from local Indians the entire eastern side of the Delaware River extending from Raccoon Creek to

Cape May Cape May consists of a peninsula and barrier island system in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is roughly coterminous with Cape May County, New Jersey, Cape May County and runs southwards from the New Jersey mainland, separating Delaware Bay fro ...

. The first settlement by the Swedes was on the banks of Raccoon Creek, originally named Raccoon and later Swedesboro. To attend church, the Swedish settlers in Raccoon had to cross the river to Wilmington or

. The difficulty of this crossing led to the decision to build a new church on the banks of Raccoon Creek. The site selected was near the new bridge for Kings Highway, which led from

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

. In 1703, they purchased along the Raccoon Creek and on part of it established their own church, the first

Swedish language Swedish ( ) is a North Germanic language spoken predominantly in Sweden and in parts of Finland. It has at least 10 million native speakers, the fourth most spoken Germanic language and the first among any other of its type in the Nordic countr ...

church in

. Trinity Church was originally a Swedish Lutheran Parish. From 1703 to 1786, it was served by clergy sent from Sweden. With the completion of a new church building in 1786, the Swedish Mission was drawing to a close. The

was almost extinct and the people no longer felt the same bond of sympathy with the land of their forebears. The congregations in New Jersey did not desire new pastors from Sweden and could not afford to offer them decent support. In October 1789 a semblance of affiliation by Trinity Church with the Episcopal Church in America began. The church is now known as Trinity Episcopal "Old Swedes" Church and is a member parish of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey.

Cemetery

Trinity Church Cemetery (also known as Trinity Episcopal "Old Swedes" Church Cemetery) is located behind Trinity Church.

Notable interments

Louis H. Carpenter Louis Henry Carpenter (February 11, 1839 – January 21, 1916) was a United States Army brigadier general and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the American Indian Wars. He dropped out of his junior year at Dickinson College t ...

(February 11, 1839 – January 21, 1916) – Indian Wars Congressional

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

recipient and

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

General. *

Charles Garrison Harker Charles Garrison Harker (December 2, 1837 – June 27, 1864) was a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was killed in action at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in northern Georgia during the Atlanta Campaign. Fort ...

(December 2, 1835 – June 27, 1864) –

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

Brigadier General in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

. *

Benjamin Franklin Howey Benjamin Franklin Howey (March 17, 1828 – February 6, 1893) was an American lawyer and Republican politician who represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for one term from 1883 to 1885. ...

(March 17, 1828 – February 6, 1895) –

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Congressman to the

Forty-eighth United States Congress The 48th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1883, ...

(1883–1885).Benjamin Franklin

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress The ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress'' (Bioguide) is a biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress and its predecessor, the Continental Congress. Also included are Delegates from ...

. Accessed August 14, 2007. *

Charles Creighton Stratton Charles Creighton Stratton (March 6, 1796 – March 30, 1859) was a politician from New Jersey who served in the United States House of Representatives and was later the 15th governor of New Jersey. Biography He was born, and died, in Swedesbo ...

(March 6, 1796 – March 30, 1859) – Served in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

and was later the

15th 15 (fifteen) is the natural number following 14 (number), 14 and preceding 16 (number), 16. Mathematics 15 is: * A composite number, and the sixth semiprime; its proper divisors being , and . * A deficient number, a smooth number, a lucky ...

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

. File:Schorn Log Cabin.JPG, Mortonson-Van Leer Log Cabin, ca. 1700, with the cemetery in between the cabin and church

References

External links

*
Official Church Website
{{authority control Episcopal church buildings in New Jersey Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey Georgian architecture in New Jersey Federal architecture in New Jersey Churches completed in 1786 Churches in Gloucester County, New Jersey 18th-century Episcopal church buildings National Register of Historic Places in Gloucester County, New Jersey New Jersey Register of Historic Places Historic American Buildings Survey in New Jersey Swedesboro, New Jersey Swedish-American history Finnish-American history Swedish American culture in New Jersey Finnish-American culture in New Jersey New Sweden Churches in New Sweden

History

Cemetery

Notable interments

See also

References

External links