Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-04-16

HelcclinR anu agreeing upon piuCt
whore in Jesus name should set our
new church. T"
Then began this memorable church
building enterprise. 1t was to drag
weaiily through two years, and with
much contention and disappointment,
sanctitied by holy zeal and devotion
upon the part Of the pastor and the
larger portion of the people, until
Trinity Sunday l699, when it was 10
be dedicated with great rejoicing in
an assembage Of Swedes from all tho
region about it, the dedication to bo
marked by great feast provided by
the congregation at Christianahamn,
for the entertainment Of the visitors.
Pastor Bjork was the architect and
supervising builder of this famous
church edifice. The site had been Sc
lected with some difficulty. 1t was
the highest ground available and was
within the limits of the largest settle.
ment. This did not suffice. The poo-
pie living south of the Christiana OBJ
jected to having to pass over the creek
to get TO the church, and the people on
tho New Jersey side of the Delaware,
objected to lengihening the distance
from their honest but there had been
no burial ground at Crane Hook; the
dead of more than half a century were
buried in the cemetery established be-
side the fort on the arrival of the first
colonists. The reverence for these
graves, and the fitness of the pIoposi-
tion to build the new church in the
midst of them, and overlooking the
place to which these coloniGts believed
God had led them, controlled the dc.
cisicn. 1t was stipulated, however,
that the people Of the north side should
supply and keep in order ferry boat
10 be used free Of CHARGE by the resi-
dents of the south side, in crossing tho
Christiana going to and returning
from the church.
The plans OF the church as drawn
by Pastor Binrk were twice enlarged
first it was lengthoned to make it more
in proportion, the architect naively
saying that he waited to see how il
would look. !" Then he raised the walls
to still more improve its appearance.
The first Dimensions were 40 feet long
by 30 feet wide and II feet high r.
though the height shall rema in uncer-
tain till We see how il will compare
with the other dimensions. . The di-
mensions being fixed, there seemed to
be no good place in the church grounds,
except it be over graves, to put the
new building. Then, it. is recorded,
that Church Warden John Stalcop
gave of his own free will for the glory OF
God out of his own land so large place
as was needed for the church partly to
stand upon, with two fathoms ON the
south side and west end for a free
church walk" 4" For this gift the church
wardens remitted the "a subscribed by
Stalcop for the new church fund. This
John Stalcop some of whose descendants
still live in New Castle county and
bear his name, was a Swede, Johan
Anderson, VINO lost his family name in a
very curious way. Elizabeth Montgom
cry in her "reminiscences Of Whining
ton says that Johan Anderson was
cook or some such helper aboard one
Of the early Swedish ships coming to
America, and that he used a scull can
which he wore for a towel, and that
during the voyage it became SO glazed
with the grease that the sailors dubbed
him steel cap, which anelicised, from
the broad Swedish accent, became Stal.
cop.
Pastor Biork has left record Of
every gift of material and work given
by the Swedish congregation for the
church building. 'The first mason con.
tracing for the erection of the walls Of
the church, Joseph Richardson, OF
Upland threw up his contract, aud on
May 18th. lG')S, a contract was made
between Pastor Biork and the church
wardens, Hans Peterson, John St4lcop
| and Charles Springer, on the one side
| ana Joseph Yard, Jr., on the other, to
bulld the church walls for CSC, silver
1 money. The first foundation stone
was laid on the 2Sth day Of May, 1898.
II was placed 10y Pastor Bjork, assisted
by the Priests Reedman and Aureen
and Cant. Lars Cock, who were down
from tho upper settlements OH the Dela.
ware. During tine Building The walls
were extended to be Go feet long hv 3G
tcet wide and 20 feet high. On the
l2th Of AuguFt, 1858, Pastor BiiorS
records: Friday, the mason work was
happily finished 20 feet high all around
Glory 70 God. =
A new contract was now made with
Joseph laId OF Philadelphia, to build
up lhe gable ends Of the church, and
lnp|aster tile inside of the church walls.
u ~"s signed October Tth. lGg, Work
on fhe roof began August lst The
raising OF the tlmbers began November
~ and was finished Saturday, Novem,
Der 9TH. Tho shingles of the roof worr
not all ~ place until after Christmas.
l'E]5. Ihe roof was all on and the twC
gaple ends were walled up on ApriI
18th. Then began the preparation.
, inr the dedlcatary service on TRINITY
, sunday, @AttA, strangely enough, TIL
translator say WAS July 9Th, 1893.
, Inc fourth sunday utter Easter tn,
lust seryice was held at Crane IIool
J Cnurch. This church was built ii
lGbG - years after the establshmen
OF the colony, and had been in use 10
W years. Ihe Delaware Histnrica
! Society, at the solicitation of pennocI
fuFey, l!Rq,, who, about a year az
/ read Z papcr on this church which h;s
! been published by tho society, has do
tl"el 10 mark t. site by monument
.ur. tusey 10 dcyotedly attached TO al
tno rmains and memories of "Ol
! Wilmington ana has preserved man
; OF Its beautiful legends and tradition
in a historic novel. This story deal
, vita tho traditions connecting th
| name oi Charles Snringer. one II H.
r church wardrns when "Old Swedes'
was built, with this church. The tradi
/ tion is that Springer. young Swedis
nobloman, and an attache OF the Swrr
ism embassy ut London, was kidnapue
o and shipped 10 the English colong :
\ jamestown, va, At the instance oF
4 rival in a love affair He spent iiy
o years with the English IN Virginif
i and hearing Of a colony of his countr,
e men at ChrisVianahamn on the Dolf
= ware, as soon as he was released frol
. nondage, made his way through tb
!. wilderness and joined them. lie i,