The
architectural style of the church building is usually referred to as
Vernacular, a style that mixes various building elements and adapts
them to a particular country or locality. The church shows medieval and
gothic influences, seen in the decorative shapes created with glazed
headers next to the tower door, the steep slope of the roof, the narrow
tower windows and the steep pedimented gable. Hints of the Georgian
style, which was to predominate Philadelphia building for most of the
18th century can be seen in the building's symmetrical composition and
in the Flemish bond brick pattern, where stretchers (the lengthwise face of the brick) alternate with headers (the end
face of the brick), the headers having been glazed and darkened during firing. The steeply sloping roof is also reminiscent of Swedish churches as is the semicircular wall at the east end of the building (the apse), a feature that had begun to appear in Scandinavian churches in the 11th century.
The Steeple Bell
The church's bell was recast from a bell (dated 1643) that was originally used at Tinicum, the principal settlement of Governor John Printz. After Governor Printz's return to Sweden in 1653, that bell was donated by his daughter to the congregation of Gloria Dei in Tinicum where it was used until 1700 when the new church at Wicaco was completed. The bell was recast and enlarged in 1806 because it was thought to have a disagreeable sound, attributed to too high a proportion of silver in the original bell's composition. There is an inscription on the bell that reads, "I to the living call, and to the grave do summon all."
D. Joy Segal, Rector | Columbus Blvd. & Christian Street | Philadelphia, PA 19147 | (215) 389-1513
