The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1889-01-16
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY is. 1885.
An oLp CHURCH.
aist5EEyy OF the Old Swedish meeting HSs1Isss.;
Erected In 1895.

:
Histdt5 of the Old Swedish Meeting Hios1sses;
Erected in 1895.
The most interesting feature of VIII
tnington is the old Swe5es 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 that we have no
ehufch quite so Interesting, as regards
age origin and architecture 1t is
probably the oldest which remains ex-
actly as it left the hands of its builderss
1898 Is the date III iron letters on the
west gable The building stands IN a
wide place of graves. a little back from
Christina creek and mile west of the
Delaware THE church is built of gray
stone. sixty feet long, thirty feet wide
and twenty feet high Tho walls are
six feet thick at the base and three feet
at the windows. There are i've of the
latter, large, and arclie<l initha 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, tic main inscription being on
the west gable.
Within the church is as quaint and
Soldl as when Dutch IactcT. the sbattIef
Scared sexton. hauled live Goals from
the-old cannon stove upon tire brick
floor 10 warm it. The old cedar roof,
fir pcws 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 tl655), the Swedes
were very much scattered, and found
it extremely difficult TO secure pastors
They were of the Lutheran faith of
the pure Augsburg confession and Sc
cured now and then minister from
the 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. 'Chey made frequent but vain
appeals to the home church to send
them two ministers. with Bibles,
catechisms and other goodly books 10
protect them from the false teachers
AND strange sects, by whom they were
surrounded. at last, in 1893. they APP
pealed 10 Charles XI, of Sweden, an
appeal very interesting to us from q
statement it contains that there were
then 1SS Swedish families, comprising
942 persons, living on the Delaware.
Charles was much interested by the
letters, but the death of his queen,
Ulrica Elcanora, soon after, and press
ing affairs of state delayed tho Amcri-
can matter for some time. In 1886 it
was revived. Andrew Rudman, a
candidate, was selected as missionary
to America, and he III turn chose two
other gotlly men, Eric Biork and Josias
Aurran, as companions and co-worlS-
erS The king gave for their outfit
81 300 copper mint, and 500 copies
of Buther's c;ltechism, with Bibles,
pastils and church books, each bearing
the kings name ilI gilt letters As the
three were about TO depart he granted
them personal interview, at which
he gave them 500 tsilver mynt" addi-
tional for their voyage, and informed
them that he had ordered the Swedish
ambassador Ill London TO procure pass
ports and see them safely on their way.
"Go now" he concluded, Fin the
name of the Lord to the place to which
make you indeed successful!" Fur
nished with safe conduct from Eng
land they came safely to Maryland.
thence they travelled overland to VIII
nfington and Philadelphia, Rudnlan
taking the parish at Wicacoa, near 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, as compromise, it was agreed
to place it on the banks of the Chris
tina, so that the people from the out
lying districts could como IN boats III
summer and sleighs fir winter, and
also for the protection afforded by the
fort. John Stalcop, church warden,
gave the land. They began building
on May %, 1858. The ediiice was CON
secrated as Trinity church, on Trinity
Sunday, 1909. The. occasion was made
a day of great rejoicing. Governor
Markham was invited, but was unable
to be present. The feast was spread in
the house of John Stalcop. All sorts
of meat and drink. we are told, were
contributed wheat. malt, bread, -four.
hops, wine, butter, sugar, raisins,
eggs, veal, mutton. venisolI chickens,
turkeys, turnips, etc. The conglera-
ton ate the dinner together, rejoicing
and praising God. For years after
the anniversary was Observed. Com
n1unions and baptisInal services were
long celebrated with the chalice and
plate sent over by the copper work
ers of Sweden to Pastor Bjorll. and the
Bible long used was that given by
Queen Anne III 1112. Wilmington
(Del.) Cor. New York Post.