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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2010 with funding from 
 The Library of Congress 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/oldswedeschurchoOOphil 
 
ST. JAMES OF KINGSESS 
 
 SIXTY-NINTH AND WOODLAND AVENUE 
 
 PHILADELPHIA, PENNA. 
 
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THE OLD SWEDES' CHURCH 
 
 ST. JAMES OF KINGSESS 
 
 176 2 
 
 FRONT VIEW FACING SIXTY-NINTH STREET 
 
 Some of my people were of the Swedes — Sisom. 
 
V 
 
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 ix 
 
 
 
 1 
 
ST. JAMES OF KINGSESS 
 
 SIXTY-NINTH AND WOODLAND AVENUE 
 PHILADELPHIA, PENNA. 
 
 Corner or Foundation Stone laid on Thursday, 
 August 5th, 1762. 
 
 /^lf*HE church of St. James of Kingsess, at what is now 
 vU 69th and Woodland Avenue (1), Philadelphia, 
 was the third (2) of the three old Swedish Lutheran 
 Churches which formed what was known as the Wicaco 
 Mission. This Mission, which was one of the branches 
 of the Swedish Lutheran Church in America, known col- 
 lectively as the Swedish Mission, (8) was composed of the 
 three churches of Gloria Dei (Wicaco), (9) Christ Church, 
 Upper Merion, and St. James of Kingsess. The church 
 buildings now standing of these three churches were built 
 as follows: Gloria Dei, in 1700; Christ Church, Upper 
 Merion, in 1760; and St. James of Kingsess, in 1762. (2) 
 But the present church at Upper Merion includes an ad- 
 dition of transepts, chancel and tower built in 1837 and 
 the present church of St. James of Kingsess includes 
 an addition built in 1855 at the rear of the original build- 
 ing. From their organization until the death of the Rev. 
 Nicholas Collin, D. D., in 1831, the churches composing 
 the Wicaco Mission were under Swedish Lutheran rectors, 
 sent over by the King through the church in Sweden. (3) 
 
 These three churches were chartered by John Penn on 
 September 25th, 1765, as one corporation, under the title 
 of "the Rector, Church Wardens, and Vestrymen of the 
 United Swedish Lutheran Churches of Wicaco, Kingsessing, 
 and Upper Merion, in the county of Philadelphia, in the 
 province of Pennsylvania" (3); and that charter was sub- 
 sequently confirmed by Act of the General Assembly of the 
 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, passed October 30th, 1787. 
 The charter and Act confirming it are set out in full in the 
 Appendix to Dr. Clay's Annals, 1st Edition (3). 
 
ST. JAMES OF KINGSESS 
 
 The Swedish Mission came to an end in 1841 ; and that 
 year, therefore, marked the severance of the Wicaco Mission 
 from the parent Swedish Church; but the three congrega- 
 tions composing the Wicaco Mission had a rector in common 
 until 1843, in which year they dissolved their connection, 
 and so the Wicaco Mission came to an end. Two years 
 later St. James and Gloria Dei connected themselves with 
 the Protestant Episcopal Church as separate parishes, and 
 Christ Church also became an independent parish (3). 
 
 'Tf^HE Corner or "Foundation" Stone of St. James 
 \^ of Kingsess was laid August 5, 1762. In reference 
 to which Rev. Dr. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg (5) 
 sometimes called the "Patriarch of American Lutheranism" 
 in his diary (in German) states : 
 
 "Sunday, August 1, 1762. In the evening also had a visit 
 from Mr. Wrangel, I also had to make a visit. At forenoon 
 to-day the public was invited for next Thursday to Kingsess 
 over the Schuylkill to attend the laying of the foundation stone 
 of a Swedish Lutheran Church. 
 
 "Thursday, August 5, 1762. In the morning at 8 o'clock I 
 journeyed over the Schuylkill to Kingsess — Rev. Mr. Borrell 
 commenced by offering the regular prayer and then read the 
 136th Psalm. Afterward the Mr. Provost preached a sermon. 
 Then the Trustees, the Provost, and remaining preachers formed 
 a procession. The Mr. Provost made a short address, Esquire 
 Coultas read the written matter, and laid same in the stone, 
 and the Mr. Provost laid the stone explaining under which 
 religion doctrine and form of government this church had been 
 built, and gave it the name of St. James Church. Thereupon 
 the rest of the clergymen, the Trustees, and I briefly bid them 
 farewell. For the close we sang 'The Lord is never far away 
 throughout all grief distressing' etc. (6) I arrived home about 
 5 o'clock." 
 
 The original manuscript diary (written in German) 
 from which the above is quoted has never been translated 
 in full or published, and is now in the possession of the 
 Krauth Memorial Library of Lutheran Theological Semi- 
 nary at Mount Airy, Philadelphia, Pa. (7). (See note 11.) 
 
ST: JAMES OF KINGSESS 
 
 
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ST. JAMES OF KINGSESS 
 
 REV. CM. WRANGEL, 1727-1786 
 (copyrighted by amandus johnson) 
 
 Rev. Charles Magnus Wrangel, D. D., who built Christ 
 
 Church, Upper Merion, in 1760, and St. James, 
 
 of Kingsessing, in 1762. 
 
 As we have not been able to obtain an accurate cut, 
 print or "picture" of the church as originally constructed 
 in 1762, we refer our readers to what we understand to 
 be a complete, accurate and somewhat " unique " de- 
 scription of it given by Prof. Amandus Johnson in his 
 history of the Swedish Settlements, etc. Vol, 3 (in prep- 
 aration), quoting from Dr. Wrangel' s report to the Arch- 
 bishop of Upsal, Sweden, at the time the church was 
 built. It is not at present accessible to us (4). 
 
ST. JAMES OF KINGSESS 
 
 Christ Church, Upper Merion (Old Swedes) Bridgeport, Penn- 
 sylvania. Built by Dr. Wrangel and Dedicated Tune 
 25th, 1760. 
 
 St. James of Kingsessing (Old Swedes), 69th and Woodland 
 Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built by Dr. 
 Wrangel. Corner Stone laid Thursday, August 5th, 
 1762. 
 
 SIDE VIEW FACING WOODLAND AVENUE 
 
% 
 
 ST. JAMES OF KINGS ESS 
 
 HERE is a memorandum in the minute book of the- 
 Church dated 1776 (14 years after the laying of 
 the corner stone) which reads: 
 "St. James Church was erected in the year of our Lord 
 and Saviour Jesus Christ 1760 and the corner stone was laid by 
 the Reverend Charles Magnus Wrangle, D.D., assisted by his 
 Reverend Brethren of the Clergy, the Trustees and Congregation 
 of the said Church. 
 
 ' ' Ministers of the German Lutheran Church in Philadelphia : — 
 
 "Reverend Henry Muhlenberg and Reverend Jno. Fred. 
 Handstuk. 
 
 "Trustees and Superintendents: — 
 
 " Mr. James Coultas, Mr. William Boon, Mr. Sacharias 
 Cox, Mr. Seth Thomas, Mr. Ephard Ellis, Mr. Mathias NitillisV 
 Mr.. George Norton, Mr. Andrew Urian, Mr. Swan Culin, Mr. 
 John Taylor, Mr. George Grantham." 
 
 The date 1760, is an error, unless it refers to the erection 
 of the church organization and not the erection of the 
 church building, the corner or foundation stone of which 
 was not laid until Thursday, August 5, 1762. (See note 11.) 
 
 Dr. Muhlenberg was one of the grantees named in the 
 deed of 1762 from Justis et al conveying the church lot. 
 This deed refers to the lot as the "lot upon which a church 
 building is to be hereafter erected," which shows on its face 
 that the reference in the minutes of 1776 to the erection of 
 the church in 1760 was either an error or that it meant 
 that the church organization was erected in 1760 and not 
 the church building. 
 
 The framed map recently placed in the vestibule of the 
 church shows the location of the lot as conveyed by the Justis 
 Deed of 1762 and also the larger tract of which it was a part 
 and also the adjoining tracts. It is otherwise interesting. 
 
 Before the present church building was erected the 
 Swedes conducted services (in their native language) in 
 "the School House." What particular school house we da 
 not know. It was perhaps in the predecessor of the old 
 (still standing) Bannaker School House which was erected 
 in 1789. 
 
ST. JAMES OF KINGSESS 
 
 OLD KINGSESSING (PASCHALVILLE OR BANNAKER) 
 SCHOOL HOUSE, 1789 
 
 Situate in rear of the Paschalville School on Woodland Avenue 
 between Seventieth and Seventy-first Streets. 
 
 This old Stone School House in the rear of the brick 
 school house on Woodland Avenue (formerly Darby Road, 
 State Road, King's Highway, &c), between 70th and 71st 
 Streets, was erected in 1789. It is understood to be the 
 oldest school building in Philadelphia and its predecessor 
 was no doubt the School House in which the Swedes held 
 their service prior to the completion of their church at 
 Kingsess. (10) 
 
 The lot upon which it stands was conveyed by Philip 
 Price to George Gray, Jr., Matthew Huston, Justice Cox 
 and Hugh Lloyd and the survivors or survivor of them "in 
 trust for the uses of a school in Kingsessing aforesaid, for the 
 benefit of the vicinity and particularly for the use of those who 
 are contributors to the building of a School House on said Lot." 
 
 It was held by successive Trustees, "in trust" (as above 
 stated), until as late as 1875, when by deed dated May 22, 
 1875, from Robert S. Paschall, the successor trustee, became 
 vested in the City of Philadelphia, "to hold the same in trust 
 for the same uses, intents and purposes set forth and declared 
 in and by a certain indenture, &c," (the purposes set out in 
 the deed of 1789). At that time the City of Philadelphia 
 acquired certain adjoining tracts and began the building of 
 the present school building, which has since been renovated 
 and enlarged. 
 
 Dr. Muhlenberg in his diary as late as March 6, 1763, 
 states that he "preached at Kingsess in the School House-." 
 
 "Some of my people were of the Swedes" — Sisom. 
 
 Printed by 
 
 Marion Claytor Callahan 
 
 october 19th. 1910 
 6832 Paschall Avenue 
 Philadelphia 
 Pennsylvania 
 
ST. JAMES OF KINGS ESS 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 1. Formerly Darby Road, State Road, King's High- 
 way, etc. 
 
 2. Christ Church, Upper Merion, — dedicated Sunday, 
 June 25, 1760. (See church records.) St. James of Kingsess 
 — corner stone laid Thursday, August 5, 1762 (see Dr. 
 Muhlenberg's diary &c.) While these churches were built 
 in the years above stated the Swedes held services in the 
 vicinity for many years prior thereto, either in frame 
 churches, block houses, school houses, or settlers' residences 
 under the direction of Swedish Lutheran Rectors sent over 
 here by the King of Sweden. Rev. Reorus Torkillus was 
 here as early as 1636. See Dr. Clay's Annals First Edition, 
 page 149, etc. 
 
 3. See Dr. Jehu Curtis Clay's Annals of the Swedes 
 on the Delaware, Second Edition, pages 137, 140, 157, 173, 
 etc. 
 
 4. See "The Early Swedish Settlements on the Del- 
 aware etc. by Prof. Amandus Johnson, Ph. D., in "Old 
 Penn " May 20th, 1911, and also Dr. Johnson's Early 
 Swedish Settlements etc. in three volumes two of which 
 have (May, 1911) been published, the other being in 
 preparation. This work is commended to all interested 
 in the history of the early settlements along the Delaware. 
 
 5. See "Hallische Nachrichten" (German Edition), 
 Page 925, etc. 
 
 6. "Der Herr ist noch und nimmer nicht von seinem 
 Volkgeschieden"etc. SeeHymnNo. 738, beginning with the 
 fifth verse on page 248, in the (German) Song or Hymn 
 Book of the Evangelical Brotherhood in North America — 
 Moravian Publication Office, Bethleham, Pa., 1904. This 
 Hymn was composed in 1609. It also appears in other 
 German Hymn Books. 
 
 7. See also Acrelius History of New Sweden which 
 was translated from the Swedish by Rev. William M. 
 Reynolds, D.D., and in particular see the Appendis thereto 
 at pages 345, etc. 
 
ST: JAMES OF KINGSESS 
 
 8. The Swedish Missipn was composed of three dis- 
 tinct Rectorships, viz.: — (1) Wicaco, with Upper Merion 
 and Kingsessing; (2) Christiana, in Delaware; and (3) 
 Racoon, with Penns Neck, in West Jersey. See Clay's 
 Annals, Second Edition, page 119. 
 
 9. It was "Wicaco Church," not "Gloria Dei," by 
 which this church was for a long time generally known. 
 See Clay's Annals, Second Edition, page 56. 
 
 See pamphlet "The Swedes Church and House of Sven 
 Sener, 1 6 7 7 ," reprinted from Watson's Annals, First Edition, 
 1830, page 133, etc., by Griffin Ellwood Callahan and 
 Doran Sisom Callahan, June, 1907. 
 
 10. Kingsess (Kingsessing) from the Indian " Chin- 
 sessing." See Acrelius History, page 46. 
 
 11. It was not until August 3, 1761, that the Vestry 
 of Wicaco concluded to erect a "church and a school 
 house near by" at Kingsessing. See records of Upsala 
 Cathedral, Sweden, quoting from reports from Wicaco 
 Church. (Where was that Swedes School House located 
 if it was, as contemplated, built. — Sisom) 
 

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