Zippity Zoop hop dop woop

The church was built in 1698–99 in territory that had been the colony of New Sweden until 1655.
The building materials were local blue granite and Swedish bricks that had been used as ship's
ballast. The church is situated on the site of the Fort Christina's burial ground, which dates to
1638. The church claims to be "the nation's oldest church building still used for worship as
originally built". There are reportedly over 15,000 burials in the churchyard. Lutheran church
services were held in the Swedish language well into the 18th century.[4]

John Hansson Steelman provided significant donations which enabled the construction of the
church, including £320 for the purchase of land for the church at Fort Christina and for the
building of the church, £220 by loans and £100 by gift he received in return the promise that he
and his wife would be buried within the church, which was not done, as they moved to
Pennsylvania in the 1730s.[5]

In 1697, the Church of Sweden renewed its commitment to Swedish settlers in the Delaware
Valley and sent three missionaries, Jonas Auren, Eric Bjork, and Andreas Rudman, to the area.[6]
A total of three churches with similar architecture were built or established by Swedish
communities in the area about the same time. All are generally known as "Old Swedes" and later
joined the Episcopal Church. Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church in Philadelphia was founded in
1697 and the building was completed in 1700. Trinity Church in Swedesboro, New Jersey was
founded in 1703, with its current building completed in 1784.

HABS architectural drawing of the church

Five other Swedish churches were founded in the 18th century: St. Mary Anne's Episcopal
Church in North East, Maryland; Old St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church in Douglassville,
Pennsylvania; St. George's Episcopal in Churchtown, New Jersey; St. James Kingsessing in
Philadelphia; and Christ Church (Old Swedes) in Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania.[6]

Holy Trinity in Wilmington has housed an Episcopal parish since 1791 and is now part of the
Episcopal Diocese of Delaware. An earlier church in New Sweden was built in Swanwyck, near
New Castle about 1662, which was replaced by a combined church and fort at Crane Hook in
1667.[7] In 1958, the historic Hendrickson House was moved to the grounds of the church. The
church building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961.[2][8] Trinity Parish operates
two church buildings in Wilmington, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the
main building on North Adams,[9] and Old Swedes at East 7th and Church Streets.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Swedes_front_corner_1.JPG

 Elizabeth Montgomery, daughter of Captain Hugh Montgomery

 Hans Jurgen Smidt (1696-1753) and Mary Stalcop (1696-1750), ancestors of Devil Anse
Hatfield of the Hatfield-McCoy feud.
 Carl Christopher Springer, first warden
 William Vandever (d. 1718), grave marked with the oldest legible stone
 Samuel White (1770–1809), U.S. Senator
 James Harrison Wilson (1837–1925) Union general in the Civil War