, 1888-12-23
AN OLD CHURCH.
History of the Old Swedish Meeting House.
Erected In 1908.

History of the Old Swedish Meeting House,
Erected In I6os.
The most interesting feature of vii.
mington is the old Swedes church,
standing on the outskirts Of the city,
near the Christina, just above the rocks
where in old days Minuit planted his
fort. / am of opinion hat we have nc
church quite so interesting, as regards
age, origin and architecture. 1t is
probably the Oldest which remains ex-
actly as il left the hands of its builders
''169S" is the date in iron letters on the
west gable. The building stands in a
wide place of graves, a little back from
Christina creek and a mile west of the
Delaware. The church is built Of gray
stone, sixty feet long, thirty feet wide
and twenty feet high. The walls are
six feet thick at the base and three feet
at the windows. There are five Of the
latter, large, and arched in the style of
the old Norman, as are the three heavy
doors. There are inscriptions on all
four sides in iron letters set into the
walls, the main inscription being on
the west gable.
Within the church is as quaint and
old rs when Dutch Peter, the battle
SCARED sexton, hauled live Goals from
the old cannon stove upon the brick
floor TO warm il. The old cedar roof,
fir pews and quaint pulpit, with its
high sounding board, are very inter
esting specimens indeed of early
church furniture.
The inscriptions recall the very in
teresting circumstances under which
the church was built. After the cap
ture by the Dutch 1883, the Swedes
were very much scattered, and found
it extremely difficult to secure pastors.
They were of tie Lutheran faith of
the pure Augsburg confession and Sc
cured now and then a minister from
tho churches at New York, their last
one from this source being the Rev.
Jacobus Fabritius, called in 1877, who
became blind and incapacitated in
1852. They made frequent but vain
appeals to the home church to send
them two ministers, with Bibles,
catechisms and other goodly books TO
protect them from the false teachers
and strange sects," by whom they were
surrounded. AT last, in 1898, they APP
pealed TO Charles XI, of Sweden, an
appeal very interesting to us from a
statement ii contains that there were
then 1888 Swedish families, comprising
942 persons, living on the Delaware.
Charles was much interested by the
letters, but the death of his queen,
Ulrica Eleanora, soon after, and press
ing affairs of state delayed the Ameri-
can matter for some time. In 1896 it
was revived. Andrew Rudman, a
candidate, was selected rs missionary
to America, and he in turn chose two
other godly men, Eric Bjork and Josias
Aurran, us companions and co-vork-
er3. The king gave for their outfit
Sl,300 copper mint, and 500 copies
of Luthcr's ~catechism, with Bibles,
pastils and church books, each bearing
the kings name in gilt letters. As the
three were about 10 depart no granted
them a personal interview, mt which
he gave them 800 silver mynt" addi-
tional for their voyage, and informed
them that he had ordered the Swedish
ambassador in London 10 procure pass
ports and see them safely on their way.
Go now he concluded, Tin the
name of the Lord 10 the place TO which
| send you. God be with you and
make you indeed successful" Fur
nished with u safe conduct from Eng
land they came safely TO Maryland,
thence they travelled overland to Viii
mington and Philadelphia, Rudman
taking the parish ut Wicacoa, neal the
latter place, and Bjork that Of Crane
Hook, near Wilmington. The people
of Wilmington thought that a church
should be reared in their village; those
at Crane Hook opposed any change;
at last, us a compromise, it was agreed
to place it on the banks of the Chris
tim, so that the people from the out
lying districts could come in boats in
summer and sleighs i'll winter, and
also for the protection afforded by the
fort. John Stalcop, u church warden,
gave the land. They began building
on May %, 1898. The edifce was con-
secrated rs Trinity church, ON Trinity
Sunday, 1893. The occasion was made
a day Of great rejoicing. Governor
Markham was invited, but was unable
10 be present. The feast was spread in
the house of John Stalcop. All sorts
of meat and drink, we are told, were
contributed-whcat, malt, bread, flour,
hops, wine, butter, sugar, r%aisins,
eggs, veal, mutton, venison, chickens,
turkeys, turpips, etc. The congrega-
ton ate the dinner together, rejoicing
and praising God" For years after
the anniversary was observed. Com
munions and baptismal services were
long celebrated with the chalice and
plate sent over by the copper work
ers of Sweden to Pastor Bjork, and the
Bible long used was that given by
Queen Ammo in 1712. Wilmington