T1. Old Swedes Church
Date: Thursday, October 11
Time: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Fee: $5
Meet in Lobby and depart HOTEL DU PONT at 9:45am.
Holy Trinity Church, commonly called Old Swedes Church, was constructed of Brandywine granite in 1698-1699. The only remaining structure of the early Swedish settlement along the banks of the Christina River, it is the oldest church in the nation now standing as built and still in use for regular worship. The churchyard/burial grounds pre-date the church building by 60 years. In 2015, the Church and burial grounds become part of the First State National Historic Park, a unit of the National Park Service. This tour will highlight church architecture and early history, including some items discovered during 2015 archaeological excavations. The cemetery tour highlights more than four centuries of graves and 1,300 grave markers that tell the stories of many Delaware residents who shaped the history of the state and the nation.