So, a couple years ago, I visited Old Swedes church, the oldest original Swedish church in the new world dating back to 1698, and I confirmed that it was a national park site before taking the interesting tour complete with silly ghost stories. And I checked it off my list and posted it on this website. But I was wrong. A careful reader messaged me—to avoid public humiliation—and explained that I had the wrong Old Swedes church.

So, last month, I went to Philadelphia and finally visited the Old Swedes church above, built in 1700. I spoke with the pastor, and he explained that this is the oldest Gloria Dei Lutheran church in America and the oldest surviving church in Philadelphia (not Delaware where I foolishly was before). The pastor forgave me, and I hereby offer my humble public confession.

The moral of the story is that if you look up NPS Old Swedes church, you are likely to get the one in Delaware, which is an affiliated part of the First State NHP, but if you look up NPS Gloria Dei church, you are likely to get the affiliate NHS church above in Philadelphia. Also, the stone and brick work on the two facades are obviously different. As an act of contrition, I offer the following photo of the inside of the Philadelphia Old Swedes, complete with the Kalmar Nyckel sailing above the congregation.