Old Swedes Historic Site

Revolutionary War patriots buried at Old Swedes - do you trace your ancestry back to one of these men?
Join us on July 4 for a special commemoration of their lives - their stories, their service, their final resting place, their descendants. We'll have a special walking tour, genealogical charts, and free admission to all!
Email [email protected] to rsvp or for more info.

Sunny and 75 on Saturday! Bring your shovels, rakes and gloves, many hands make light work. The bees will thank you next year.

POLLINATOR GARDEN PREP DAY, SATURDAY, MAY 30, 3PM-5PM

The Bees Need You!!! Without bees we wouldn't have fruits and vegetables to eat or flowers to enjoy.

Old Swedes is doing our part to help the bees by installing a pollinator garden. Volunteers are needed to help us clean out the beds around the amphitheater so we can plant our garden in October. Bring shovels, hard rakes and gloves. Drinks and snacks provided.

Old Swedes A to Z:
D is for the Dent family of Boise Idaho, who visited last Friday. The boys loved the Junior Ranger activity!

POLLINATOR GARDEN PREP DAY, SATURDAY, MAY 30, 3PM-5PM

The Bees Need You!!! Without bees we wouldn't have fruits and vegetables to eat or flowers to enjoy.

Old Swedes is doing our part to help the bees by installing a pollinator garden. Volunteers are needed to help us clean out the beds around the amphitheater so we can plant our garden in October. Bring shovels, hard rakes and gloves. Drinks and snacks provided.

Old Swedes A to Z:
C is for Christina, remarkable Queen of Sweden. Born in December 1626, she was proclaimed queen at the age of six when her father Gustavus Adolphus was killed at the Battle of Lützen. A regency council governed Sweden until she came of age in 1644.
Queen Christina wanted to make Sweden a cultural great power. She collected art and books and took a deep interest in literature, theatre, science, and philosophy. Prominent cultural figures, such as the French philosopher René Descartes, were invited to her court. She abdicated the throne in 1654, converted to Catholicism and took up residence in the Vatican.
The queen's seal adorns this deed in the Old Swedes archives.

Old Swedes A to Z:
B is for the Bell that first hung in a walnut tree by Old Swedes Church, calling the faithful to services, gathering the community together. In 1904, Wilmington artist Robert Shaw included his idea of the bell as a remarque on the larger etching 'First Landing Place of the Swedes in America.' In 1803, Thomas Cole built a brick tower on the east end of the church building to house the church bell, and in 1934, the fine folks from the Historic American Buildings Survey climbed up to the roof for this great photo.

Congratulations to Julia Jay Hardman, whose entry won the Wilmington250 poster contest! We love seeing Old Swedes front and center!
This work by the Delaware-based artist will be displayed at the US Conference of Mayors' 94th annual meeting in June, and published in both print and digital form.

Congratulations to Julia Jay Hardman for submitting the winning entry in the Wilmington250 poster contest! This poster will be displayed at the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s 94th Annual Meeting in Long Beach, California from June 4 to June 7, 2026, and published in both print and digital books.

About the Artist:
Julia Jay Hardman is a Delaware based artist. She works in mixed media on paper, and is known for her illustrative style. Julia studied printmaking and art history in New York City before returning to her beloved home state. Operating professionally in Wilmington for over a decade, Julia has shown works locally at the Chris White Gallery, The Queen, and more. her work focuses on humor, sentimentality, and themes from historical art. The poster design focuses on the love she has for her neighborhood in Wilmington (special thanks to her downtown neighbors who sent in photos of their pets), the impressive history of our city, and the natural beauty of our local parks. Julia is especially proud to come from a city with such deep musical traditions, including Clifford Brown and Bob Marley.

COME PLAY IN THE DIRT DAY, Saturday, May 16 3pm to 5pm.

The volunteers at our first pollinator garden prep day made a lot of progress but there is still more left to do. Bring gloves, shovels and hard rakes and help us finish up cleaning out so we can plant in fall. The bees will say thank you next year.

Old Swedes A to Z:
A is for Acrelius, the Rev. Israel (1714-1800). The last Swedish priest to serve Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church (1749-1756), he served as provost over the Swedish congregations in America and was the author of the "History of New Sweden" first published in 1759.
Descendant Elisabeth Sherwood and family came to Old Swedes recently to learn more about their ancestor.