Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-09-16
Notes of a Summer Vacation.
WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

from place to place this summer. But
now as his steps are turning homeward
il occurs to him to note few incidents
of vacation, not of travel, for the dis
tances passed over have not reached far
ther than Atlantic City, the Tell-known
popular resort of so many Of our Alexan-
dlia friends.
The first month of vacation was spent
at Wilmington, Delaware, where very
pleasant resting place was found at the
recta.y of a clerical friend who had gone
off for a well-earned vacation. Before
this ser IN Wilmington had been little
more than a pause of few minutes on
the Journey between Washington and
Philadelphia. But now it assumed its
true proportions in your correspondents
experience as city of at least so, 600
Inhabitants, with large number OF man.
uiac uring establishments and especially
roted for the famous DUPONT powder works
located along the banks OF the Brandy
wine, according to the tradition handed
down by the Biographies studied in ear
lier years. The proximity of Whining
ton to Philadelphia makes it to certain
extent a suburb of the latter, especially
in the line of shopping, but as the chief
city of gallant little Delaware, it has an
individuality of its own, which is height
ened by the conscious possession Of its
own antiquities, as well as by the present
volume OF its manufactures. The main
part of the city lies on ridge separating
the Christiana from the Brandywine
river. 1t is generally considered to be
on the Delaware river and in fact is laid
out as far as its banks, but here the
ground is low and chiefly suited Tor
manufacturing sites. But the harbour
is formed by the Christians river two
miles from its junction with the Della
ware. The Brandywine, which is tidal
stream for very short distance to north
Market street, also adds its waters to the
Christiana, where the latter forms the
city harbor.
The first colOnists to make perma-
nent settlement in what afterwards be-
came the city of Wilmington were
SSedes who came over in the year 1888.
Their landing place, which is rock on
the north bank of the Christiana, is now
marked by a memorial stone suitably in
scribed and prottc tcted with an iron rail-
ing The Swedes have left the most in
teresting relic of antiquity Wilmington
possesses, known as the Old Swedes
Church, situated in the lower part of the
city, plainly visible from the Pennsyl-
vania trains shortly afer they leave the
station northward for Philadelphia. The
church now belongs to the Protestant
Episcopal denomination, being turned
over to that church By the Swedish
Lutheran Church towards the close of the
18th century when the latter body with
drew its missionaries from America. The
sacred edifce is quaint structure of
stone erected in the year 1898 taking the
place of a previous building of wood.
There is f record OF Swedish pastors from
the first foundation of the colony, for the
religious needs of the community were
never neglected by the study pioneers to
whose enterprise we owe the beginnings
of the America of today. The quaint
simplicity of this ancient fame with all
the hallowed associations Of its history
make it one Of the must interesting mOnu-
ments of the past in this part Of the coun-
try. The Church has large gale. in
the western end entered by door from
the outside under an archway lookin G
southwark. The aisles on the main tOCi
are of brick while the pews have b IN
cut down from their original height like
those in Christ Church in your city. The
pulpit is the original one, conforming tc
the wine glass type, with sounding
board over it. In the VI try room there
hangs fue portrait in oil of the Rev.
Erik Biorck, d. d., the minister under
whom the present church was built. II
was presented at the celebration of the
two hundredth anniversary of the build
ing of the church (1S9S) by the Copper
Mines Company OF Fslun, SwCde1, The
native place of DR.. Bjorck. One Swed-
ish pastor the Rev. Peter Tranberg lies
buried in front Of the chancel. A mar
bic slab records his faithful life in rug
ged verse " Iich however enshrines Il
true qualities of consecrated minister
of the Gospel of Christ. The burisl
ground OF this ancient temple is veri-
table Campo Santo to the people of Will
minqton, and is the resting place o.
many persons prominent in the hist 'ry
of the city and State. We have only
SPACE TO ment' on the name OF Senator
Bayard who was a devot worshipper
at the old church and to whose memory
is not only erected a handsome monu'
ment over his grave, but also a tablet
containing the ten Commandments on
the chancel wall of the church.
The Delaware Historical Society ba:
its home 10 an old brick building, which
was erected as the first Presbyterian
Church in Wilmington. The collection
of antiquities is not large, but among
those found there is a well preserved
specimen Of the boundary stones which
marked the course of the celebrated
Mason and Dixon's line. On the sidt
which faced Maryland are the arms o.
Lord Baltimore, and on the side facing
Pennsylvania are the arms of William
Penn.
Wilmington isgrowing rapidly, owing
to the developments of its manufacturing
= interests. 1t contains many handsome
+ private residences, especially those whicl
have been built in recent years. Their
t is a fine park extending along tn
Brapdywine river, retaining the naturs