History
The House of David was founded in 1903 by Benjamin Purnell. Believers came to this site in Benton Harbor to join the commune. To accommodate the growing number of converts, a number of buildings were erected around this site. One of the members of the commune built a machine to construct cement blocks, which were then used to construct the buildings. Shiloh House, constructed in 1910, was the first building to use blocks from the commune itself. Reportedly, Purnell's favorite girls were kept in this building, until the details were revealed in the 1920s. Afterward, it has been used for office and dormitory space.Description
Shiloh House is a -story Queen Anne building constructed of cement blocks. It is composed of a main section in the front and two equally sized sections to the rear, connected to the main section with covered archways. It has a hip roof, round turrets, and a center porch able topped with a dome and finial. Balconies on the second and third floor have curved archways between the columns and decorative wooden railings.References
{{National Register of Historic Places Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Michigan State Historic Sites Queen Anne architecture in Michigan Houses completed in 1910 Houses in Berrien County, Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Berrien County, Michigan 1910 establishments in Michigan Benton Harbor, Michigan