Preserving the Legacy of the New Sweden Colony in America

The Swedish Colonial Society

97 Wanamaker Avenue
Essington, PA 19029

The SCS Registrar

The SCS Historian

Book Sales

Purchase online: link

Purchase in person:
Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church
916 S. Swanson St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147-4332

Enjoy the benefits of membership

The Swedish Colonial Society

Enjoy the benefits of membership

Annual Events

Julmiddag Celebration

Every December we enjoy a traditional Christmas Luncheon at the venerable Corinthian Yacht Club.  We are entertained by a speaker, Swedish music and a raffle—and we entertain each other with good fellowship.  We then take our decorations next door to dress our Colonial Swedish Farmstead in Tinicum, Pennsylvania’s Governor Printz Park.

Forefather Luncheon

At our Forefather Luncheon on an early Saturday in April, we partner with the Delaware Swedish Colonial Society to celebrate the anniversary of the landing of the Swedes at “The Rocks” along the Christina River in 1638. We recognize those members with proven descent from colonial Swedes and Finns and hold a brief annual meeting to elect leaders and give awards to significant contributors to our Mission. We round out the program with serious speakers such as Wilhelm Moller, President of the Tinicum Township Historical Society on “Printz Park: The Capital of New Sweden,” Ulf Barnslund Martensson, Editor/Publisher of Nordstiernan on “The Swedish Newspaper of America,” and Ethan McKinley, Superintendent of the First State National Historic Park on “Plans for Fort Christina Park.”

New Sweden History Conference

Now a Biannual event, sponsored by all the Swedish historical groups in the Delaware Valley.  The next Conference will be in the autumn of 2023.

Recent topics have included:

  • Celebrating Holy Trinity Church’s 320th Anniversary, Including Reproduction in Translation of Rev. Rudman’s Hymnals from 1700 by our Historian Kim-Eric Williams
  • Sojourning Strangers: Swedes and Germans in the Mid-Atlantic Colonies, Including “Four Swedish Priests and their German Colleagues” by our Historian Kim-Eric Williams
  • New Sweden Beyond the Delaware (1638-1776) including “After New Sweden, Three Early Transnational Actors: The Transformation of Sven Skute, Jonas Nilsson and Morton Mortensen” by our SCS Journal Editor Laurie Fitzpatrick, and “DNA—The Invisible Possession: What We Learn from Genes Inherited from our New Sweden Ancestors” by our DNA Project Co-Director Becky Griswold
  • The Delaware River: A Colonial Highway
  • Beef, Bread and Beer: Colonial Foodways