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The Historic Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Preservation Corporation (HGDPC) was established to fund, support, and supervise the restoration, renovation, and ongoing maintenance of the Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church buildings, grounds, and graveyard so that future generations may share in this historic and architectural treasure.

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Christian Burials are now being accepted at Gloria Dei

Renewal and Restoration Projects

Churchyard Restoration

We seek to restore the churchyard to an earlier point in history, increasing the historical accuracy of the environment, repair and preserve gravestones that have decayed due to extreme age, the ravages of an urban environment, and some very old damage caused by vandalism.

Repairs and Improvements

Gloria Dei supports the community with space for programs and cultural performances. This living space needs improvements in the heating, electrical and plumbing to newer technologies for greater efficiency. Further, the Board has set goals to reduce our carbon footprint, increase the number of restroom facilities, and add handicap accessibility.

Witness Trees

Gloria Dei is over 300 years old and so are many of the trees. Imagine the changes they have seen — from colonization to the birth of our nation. They need your help to stay healthy and to continue as our witnesses of history as it unfolds.

History Mystery Bicycle Ride

Learn about Gloria Dei’s history through this self-guided tour

Enjoy a casual bike ride or stroll through Philadelphia. Start at Historic Gloria Dei Church and follow the map through Old City and Independence Mall. Open the map on your smartphone to get started and follow the route to the various points of interest.

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History Stories

Sophia Fisler

by Amy GrantDecember 12, 2018December 13, 2018

Sophia was a younger unmarried sister of Hannah Collin. Their grandparents, Felix and Barbara, emigrated from Switzerland in 1730, and settled in New Jersey, along the Delaware River. Their parents, Jacob Fisler and Sophia Klein, were children on board the…

Reverend Nicholas Collin (1746-1831)

by Amy GrantNovember 27, 2018November 27, 2018

Nicholas Collin came to the Delaware Valley in 1770 and died here in 1831. He was both the last remaining priest of the Swedish mission and the first priest of the new American Gloria Dei. In his time the American…

A Story From The Grave: Catharine, Wife Of Sea Captain Peter Cruse

by Amy GrantNovember 10, 2018November 26, 2018

The inscription on Catharine Cruses’s gravestone leaves a message for her “dearest man.” This message in stone might reflect the final words that Catharine would have liked to say to her husband if he had been with her at the end.

James Peale, Artist (1749-1831)

by Amy GrantSeptember 11, 2018November 27, 2018

Best known as a portrait miniaturist and fruit still-life painter, James Peale (1749-1831) also made oil portraits, history paintings, and landscapes.

William Irvine (1741-1804), Brigadier General, U.S. Congressman

by Amy GrantSeptember 1, 2018November 26, 2018

William Irvine (1741-1804) graduated from Dublin University, became a physician, and served as a surgeon in the British Navy before immigrating to Pennsylvania in 1763. He resumed practicing medicine and was a Delegate to Pennsylvania’s anti-Stamp Act conventions in 1764 and 1766. Irvine also took part in Pennsylvania’s conventions held to consider independence in 1774 and 1775.

Jacob Jackson: A Navy Man In The War Of 1812

by Amy GrantJuly 19, 2018November 26, 2018

Jacob Jackson, whose body rests near those of his wife Catharine and several of their children, was a U.S. Navy veteran of the War of 1812. He was an active supporter of Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church, elected as a member of the vestry in 1842.