Wilmington’s first known Swedenborgian was Margarita Lammot, wife of Alfred V. DuPont. She was later joined by her sisters Mary Hounsfield and Eleanor Gilpin, and in 1855, their father Daniel Lammot, a national lay leader of the Swedenborgian denomination. By the time of his arrival there was an informal reading group of about twenty members.

In 1856, construction of our Brandywine blue granite church began on a site at the intersection of Delaware Avenue and Washington Street. The sanctuary was dedicated in April 1858. Among its members were many prominent Wilmingtonians, including artist and author Howard Pyle, who often asked his secretary to read Swedenborg’s writings to him as he painted.

When Delaware Avenue was widened in 1916, the church was disassembled stone by stone and moved to its current location on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and North Broom Street. Margaretta Lammot duPont’s grandchildren, T. Coleman and Pierre DuPont, assisted with the financing of the move. 

In 2023, The Church of the Holy City embarked on a multi-phased restoration and rehabilitation program for our historic church. We are restoring the 19th Century ambiance, building in 21st Century technology, and expanding our in-person and on-line all-are-welcome community.