A 501(c)3 dedicated to the preservation of the oldest colonial cemetery in PA

Friends of Old St. Paul's & Swedish Burial Ground
Friends of Old St. Paul's & Swedish Burial Ground
More

John Morton Resting Place: Signer of the Declaration of Independence

John Morton Resting Place: Signer of the Declaration of IndependenceJohn Morton Resting Place: Signer of the Declaration of IndependenceJohn Morton Resting Place: Signer of the Declaration of Independence

A Pennsylvania Historic Site ca. 1641 

John Morton Resting Place: Signer of the Declaration of Independence

John Morton Resting Place: Signer of the Declaration of IndependenceJohn Morton Resting Place: Signer of the Declaration of IndependenceJohn Morton Resting Place: Signer of the Declaration of Independence

A Pennsylvania Historic Site ca. 1641 

Rare birds' eye view to Pennsylvania's founding

Historical Treasure

With its true bird's-eye view, the Old St. Paul’s and Swedish Burial Ground has earned a unique historical perspective and remains a steadfast testament to Pennsylvania’s founding. From the “firsts” witnessed with the arrival of the Swedes in 1641 and William Penn’s landing in 1682 to St. Paul’s 1702 foundational role in the fledgling wilds of Chester or General Washington’s 1771 march to Yorktown, it is fair to say that Pennsylvania’s oldest colonial graveyard is not just a historical treasure, but a source of pride for all who contribute to its restoration and preservation.

Old St. Paul's Graveyard

Our beloved graveyard has been called by multiple names with the passage of time. The churchyard burying ground, also known fondly as “The Swedish Dormitory” is forever bound to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church which held it first service in January 1703.  In the case of the name Old St. Paul’s, it is called “old” not because it is old – but that it is the original graveyard.  There were actually two St. Paul’s churchyard burying grounds. A new churchyard  was established in 1850 when the second St. Paul’s church was built directly to the north across 3rd St.   The first church was razed that same year. The 1850 church was demolished in 1952 and near all of the graves were reinterred to the old graveyard.  The original ca. 1641 burial ground steadfastly remains.  

Old Swedish Burial Ground

The name used by the Pennsylvania State Historical Marker program is Old Swedish Burial Ground.  These names are often used interchangeably, but more importantly the land at 3rd and Welsh has served as a resting place for as many as 380 years. Yes! 130 years older than our remarkable United States of America.  

Friends of Old St. Paul's & Swedish Burial Ground

Friends of Old St. Paul's & Swedish Burial Ground

Friends of Old St. Paul's & Swedish Burial Ground

Friends of Old St. Paul's & Swedish Burial Ground

The Friends’ goals are to elevate awareness, educate and complete the restoration of Old St. Paul’s & Swedish Burial Ground, the oldest graveyard in Pennsylvania. The effort will result in 1) a place of rest befitting all souls and particularly the resting place of John Morton, a Signer of the Declaration of Independence; 2) the creation 

The Friends’ goals are to elevate awareness, educate and complete the restoration of Old St. Paul’s & Swedish Burial Ground, the oldest graveyard in Pennsylvania. The effort will result in 1) a place of rest befitting all souls and particularly the resting place of John Morton, a Signer of the Declaration of Independence; 2) the creation of a beautiful respite amid a busy 21st Century world; and 3) the development of programming to raise awareness for the historic colonial role of Chester.

Heritage Conservation

Friends of Old St. Paul's & Swedish Burial Ground

Friends of Old St. Paul's & Swedish Burial Ground

We will complete the restoration of the headstones, dating to 1704, improve the infrastructure and provide perpetual care of the half-acre burial ground of national historical significance.  The work to be performed must be approached with care due to the sensitive nature of the 380-year-old Graveyard and the burials abutting the perimeter walls.

Heritage Education

Friends of Old St. Paul's & Swedish Burial Ground

Heritage Education

Our vision is to foster a strong community of citizens, historians, genealogists, preservationists and cemetery enthusiasts, and together, we will become the new messengers of the burial ground’s witness to Pennsylvania's history. Our educational programs and experiences are designed to instill a sense of pride in Chester and its citizens

Our vision is to foster a strong community of citizens, historians, genealogists, preservationists and cemetery enthusiasts, and together, we will become the new messengers of the burial ground’s witness to Pennsylvania's history. Our educational programs and experiences are designed to instill a sense of pride in Chester and its citizens as the first settlement in New Sweden, the landing of William Penn, the first town in Pennsylvania, the legacy of St. Paul’s Church, and the final resting place of John Morton, a Founding Father of the United States of America.

Old St. Paul's & Swedish Burial Ground History

A true bird's eye view to Pennsylvania's founding

  • Burials occurred as early as 1641 when the Swedes settled in the area.
  • 1641/2: New Sweden expanded when settlers from Fort Christina (now Wilmington, DE) migrated north into what is now Marcus Hook, Trainer, Chester and Eddystone.    That same year, the Swedes established their second fort on the Delaware, in Upland,  “on an elevated place.” Of these areas, Upland (Chester) was the only area with permanent forts and settlements. 
  • 1643:  The first named Swedish deaths in Upland were recorded. As much as the Swedes loved to travel the “water road,” when there was a death, it was not practical due to the distance to the burial ground at Fort Christina (DE ~15 mi). So, the Swedes chose a resting place for their dead where they lived, worked and died - Upland.  
  • 1682:   The most important landing in Pennsylvania history happened in Upland with the October 1682 arrival of William Penn from England.  Penn’s original landing place was two blocks west of the Graveyard and one block south of the Penn Monument at the mouth of Chester Creek.  Penn immediately renamed Upland to Chester.
  • 1684/5: The earliest documented burial in the Swedish burial ground was Jan Jansen (Dutch), who willed, “My body I commit to the earth to be decently buried at Upland.” 
  • 1692: James Sandelands, the elder, was buried at the Swedish burial ground. His small memorial walled grave was the inspiration for a church building for the congregation meeting then in Chester homes. The original Sandelands ledgerstone (a flat marker essentially the size of the grave), sometimes called a tablet, is installed at the entrance of the current 1900 St. Paul's church.
  • 1702: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church was founded and built on the site of the Swedish burial ground. The first sermon was on January 24, 1703, and the churchyard became a graveyard for members and non-members alike.   
  • 1704:  The oldest remaining marker dating to 1704 is a ledgerstone found abutting the south wall. 2012  Survey - Grave 10-6.
  • 1777:  John Morton was buried in St. Paul’s churchyard on April 1. He was the first of the 56 Signers of the Declaration to die, and Old St. Paul’s Graveyard is honored to be the final resting place of an exceptional figure of the country’s earliest formation.
  • 1781: General George Washington and American and French Revolutionary War troops camped in Chester at the 1724 Courthouse and marched past the then 130-year-old burial ground. The Graveyard is located directly on the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route, a National Historic Trail.
  • 1845:  The Morton obelisk monument was installed by the Morton family. 
  • 1850: St. Paul’s builds a second church, directly north across 3rd St. from the 1703 Church.  
  • 1850: The original 1703 Church was torn down, but the Graveyard remained intact.
  • 1886: Last burial in the  old burial ground. 
  • 1893: An “old graveyard” survey done by St. Paul’s Church records 239 headstones (234 legible and five illegible) headstones. This was the first compilation and the best resource for headstone transcription. As noted from the church records, an additional 161 burials did not have headstones. The 1850 graveyard was not surveyed.
  • 1900: St. Paul's builds its third church at 9th and Madison - present church.
  • 1903: Last burial in the 1850 graveyard.
  • 1916: The Delaware Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) led a protest in October and appealed to other societies for help preventing the removal of the John Morton monument due to the Graveyard’s poor condition.  St. Paul’s denied permission for removal.   
  • 1937: The Works Progress Administration (“WPA”) surveys the two graveyards on either side of 3rd St. The record shows 168 headstones on the south side of 3rd, the original Swedish /1703 graveyard, and 49 headstones on the north side of 3rd, the second 1850 graveyard. The difference between the 1703 graveyard and the 1893 and 1937 surveys was that 121 headstones were missing.
  • 1946: A second effort commenced to remove John Morton’s Monument and place it at a site proposed for a war memorial. The DAR vehemently protested and worked with the American Legion and civic leaders to raise funds to protect the burial place. In November, the DAR received notice that Morton’s memorial would not be moved. 
  • 1947: The Old St. Paul’s Graveyard, including the John Morton monument, was restored as the cemetery had fallen into ruin. No count or survey was made.
  • 1952: Graves and headstones were removed from St. Paul’s second church graveyard, and nearly all (97 of 102 graves) were reinterred in the old graveyard.  The remaining five were reinterred at Chester Rural Cemetery.
  • 1954:  The Graveyard was admitted into the PA Historical Marker Program. 
  • 1957:   A third movement was initiated to relocate the grave of John Morton to another cemetery more befitting a Signer of the Declaration of Independence. Fifty descendants were polled about the move. Forty-seven were in favor,  and three voted against the proposal. The effort failed.
  • 1957: St. Paul’s Church deeds the original Graveyard for One Dollar to the City of Chester in exchange for perpetual care of the burial ground.  
  • 1957:  Rt. 291 (3rd street) was widened, and 23’ was taken from the Graveyard on both the 3rd and Welsh sides. All headstones and graves were  reinterred further into the graveyard grounds. A new red brick wall was constructed with wrought iron pickets.
  • 1981: The Graveyard was determined eligible for inclusion on the National Historic Register; however, no formal application was made.
  • 2012: The first 21st-century Graveyard survey was completed 75 years after the WPA survey. 139 headstones were counted, 145 less than in 1893, not counting the graves moved in 1957.
  • 2022: In June, the Pennsylvania State Society Daughters of the American Revolution (“PSSDAR") State Regent designated Old St. Paul’s Graveyard as her three-year State Project.  DAR and Legacy Marker Project began an ambitious restoration project in the Fall, with the first renovation in 75 years.
  • 2022: In December, there was a two-car accident in which drivers were racing east on Rt. 291. The cars hit the Graveyard brick wall and came within 30’ of John Morton’s monument. The damage is extensive and has yet to be repaired.
  • 2023: In August, the Friends of Old St. Paul's & Swedish Burial Ground ("Friends") was formed to formalize the effort begun in January of that year to support the PSSDAR restoration project with historical research and conservation activities and with a pledge to St. Paul's and the City of Chester for perpetual comprehensive support.
  • 2023: In November, the Friends conducted a field verification survey of the 2012 inventory. All headstones were accounted for, although several had fallen over. The Friends began a comprehensive compilation of the headstone inventories from the 1893, 1937, 2012, and 2023 surveys and research of the earliest origins of the Swedish settlements and burial grounds.
  • 2024: St. Paul's Church completes a multi-year project to construct a full record of burials, cross-referencing church records, wills, graveyard surveys, and published histories. As of August, 736 known burials are recorded. Research continues.
  • 2025: PSSDAR restoration activities will conclude with the rededication of the John Morton monument in May, and the Friends will take over the mantle of continued restoration and infrastructure improvements.  
  • 2025: The Friends will make application for listing on the National Historic Register.

Learn More about John Morton

Old St. Paul's is the resting place of John Morton, a Swede and farmer, whose vote tipped the scale of Pennsylvania delegates in favor of the Revolution. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the committee Chair until his death for the development of the Articles of Confederation.

Find out more

"We are not makers of history. We are made by history."

Martin Luther King Jr. ~ Crozer Seminary Grad, Chester, 1951

Small Steps ~ Big Plans

Heritage Conservation Goals

  • Team with the Daughters of the American Revolution, Legacy Marker Project and other like-minded groups for the restoration of Old St. Paul's & Swedish Burial Ground
  • Locate, unearth, upright, stabilize and level headstones & footstones
  •  Reconstitute broken headstones where possible and determine display approach for those that can’t  
  • Procure new Veteran's Administration headstones for all interred veterans
  • Site improvements include brick and iron fencing restoration with enhanced entrances, lawn grading, paths & benches
  • Remove trees that have not matured well in the landscape that are, or at risk of, damaging headstones or trees that pose a risk of daminging/destorying headstones
  • Site-appropriate landscaping improvements
  • Install Flag Poles and lighting on 3rd Street
  • Rehab the John Morton Memorial


Heritage Education Goals

  • Identify headstones using St. Paul's Church records, 1937 and 2012 graveyard maps. 
  • Transcribe legible headstones 
  • Mark all known graves with weather resistant markers
  • Collect & Catalog fragments/artifacts
  • Update and format database for importation into  publicly accessible 3rd party software  (3PS) for cemetery management
  • Map cemetery with drone/GIS data for 3PS  
  • Photograph the headstones for 3PS
  • Research and prepare biographies for 3PS
  • Research and install educational history 'story boards' for John Morton, St. Paul's Church & Graveyard, Old Swedish Burial Ground and the City of Chester
  • Investigate the design and installation of a statute of John Morton
  • Investigate the design and installation of granite walls with the names of all interments
  • Collaborate with Delaware County and PA Historical Societies for integration into educational and tourism programs
  • Apply for National Landmark designation

Project Completion Goal: Memorial Day 2026

America's 250th Birthday is July 4, 2026.  

00

DaysDays

00

HrsHours

00

MinsMinutes

00

SecsSeconds

You can be a part of a special effort. Donate!

Windows to the Past: A Collection of Friends' Photographs

Dear Diary

Tell us Your Story or Ask a Question

Get Involved! Find out how you can help!

Attach Files
Attachments (0)

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Our 380 year-old cemetery needs your help!

There are so many ways to support our project.   Contact us to find out about calls to action, volunteer opportunities, fundraising efforts, progress updates, and ways to get our message to your groups & community. 

Friends of Old St. Paul & Swedish Burial Ground

E. 3rd & Welsh St, Chester, PA 19013 United States

Friends@OldSwedishBurialGround.org

Copyright © 2024 Friends of Old St. Paul's & Swedish Burial Ground - All Rights Reserved.

Powered by GoDaddy

  • Home
  • Small Steps ~ Big Goals
  • Dear Diary
  • Not-for-Profit

This website uses cookies.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

Accept