Salem Church

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On May 27, 1877 this church was dedicated by the local Christian (Disciples of Christ) congregation. Locally it was known as the Campebllite Church in reference to Alexander Campbell who helped found the Disciples of Christ denomination.

This congregation would only remain active for a few decades. By 1898 they were no longer operating in this building and it was sold to George W. Minnick who in turned donated it to local Lutherans of the Tennesee Synod. They organized a congregation under Rev. J. Paul Stirewalt in 1898. The building became associated with the nearby Bethel Lutheran Church sometime in the 20th century and services were held on alternate Sundays at these two locations until Salem was closed in 1944 due to declining membership. It was sold to the Bowman family in 1946.

While operating as a church for the Christian Denomination, the Salem Church became the headquarters for the Hamburg Temperance Council. The first recorded meeting of that group happened in February of 1882 when 8 members congregated here but did not officially organize.

Two years later this local group did organize at a meeting in the church on March 1, 1882. At that time the group officially became the Hamburg Union of the National Temperance Union. Fifty members signed the initial roll and N.B. Painter was elected president.

How long this organization continued to operate is unknown.