Fort Christina
Fort Christina | |
Model of Fort Christina at the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia | |
| Location | East 7th St. at the Christina River, Wilmington, Delaware |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°44′14″N 075°32′18″W / 39.73722°N 75.53833°W |
| Built | 1638 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000260 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | November 5, 1961 |
Fort Christina, also called Fort Altena, was the first Swedish settlement in North America and the principal settlement of the New Sweden colony. Built in 1638 and named after Christina, Queen of Sweden, it was located approximately 1 mi (1.6 km) east of the present-day downtown Wilmington, Delaware, at the confluence of the Brandywine River and the Christina River, approximately 2 mi (3 km) upstream from the mouth of the Christina on the Delaware River.