Interior of Old Swedes' Church, Wilmington, DE, 1937

About this postcard

The view looks down the center aisle of Old Swedes' Church toward the altar wall, where a large arched stained-glass window rises above a white railing and a raised pulpit stands at left. White-paneled box pews and a brick-paved floor fill the foreground. The caption identifies the church as Old Swedes', built in 1698 by Swedes and Dutch at 7th and Church Streets, and notes that it was originally severely plain before later elaboration; the oldest marker in the churchyard dates from 1656. Old Swedes', also Holy Trinity Church, served the Swedish Lutheran congregation of the New Sweden colony and is among the oldest church buildings in the United States still in continuous use. Its box pews and raised pulpit are characteristic of early colonial meeting-house interiors.