Gloria Dei Church - Philadelphia, PA

Thanks to Jon Forde for the photograph of Gloria Dei (Old Swedes Church) - located at Delaware and Christina Streets in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The first church was a log structure on Tinicum Island founded in 1677; later the congregation was moved and a new structure erected near Penn's Landing in Wicaco (now South Philadelphia). It was originally a log structure, too. This new building was built (with later additions) in 1700. The congregation was the first Lutheran Church in "New Sweden." Peter Gunnarson Rambo was the founder and his son-in-law, Anders Bengtsson, Sr., took on a significant role in building and financing the new structure. About the time of the Revolutionary War the congregation became Anglican (which it remains today).

The church was built on land given by Catherine Swanson, widow of Swan Swanson and their three daughters, one of who married Peter Bankson.