The congregation was founded as a Swedish Lutheran parish in 1703, after local residents tired of crossing the Delaware River or Philadelphia to worship.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 for its significance in architecture and religion.

[3] In 1641, Peter Hollander Ridder, the second governor of New Sweden purchased from local Indians the entire eastern side of the Delaware River extending from Raccoon Creek to Cape May.

The Swedish language was almost extinct and the people no longer felt the same bond of sympathy with the land of their forebears.

The congregations in New Jersey did not desire new pastors from Sweden and could not afford to offer them decent support.