Church Ferry - Designs, Oars & Oarsmen

Holy Trinity congregation also purchased a small craft for the use of those who needed transportation to church from across the Delaware River and below the Christina River. Reverend Erik Bjork's journal refers to this church boat as a new "canoe" or "ferry" purchased from Hendrick Tusssey for 20 shillings. Hendrick was a Swedish member of Holy Trinity who lived on the Delaware River just north of the church. It was delivered to the churchwarden, Steffan Joransson, who lived at Finn's Point. Research on the subject has not revealed a description or how many people it carried. Historians and maritime experts are not sure if it was a "dug out" or "plank built" canoe, modeled after the church boats used in Sweden. All agree the settlers at Penns Neck traveled across the Delaware for over 50 years before they built their own church in Penn's Neck in 1717 at Church Landing Road.