Salem Presbyterian Church is a historic

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

at E. Main and Market Streets in

Salem, Virginia Salem is an independent city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,346. It is the county seat of Roanoke County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combine ...

. It was built in 1851–1852, and is a

Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

style temple form church. It has a slightly projecting

Ionic order The Ionic order is one of the three canonic classical order, orders of classical architecture, the other two being the Doric order, Doric and the Corinthian order, Corinthian. There are two lesser orders: the Tuscan order, Tuscan (a plainer Doric) ...

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...

in antis with

belfry The belfry /ˈbɛlfri/ is a structure enclosing bells for ringing as part of a building, usually as part of a bell tower or steeple. It can also refer to the entire tower or building, particularly in continental Europe for such a tower attached ...

. an
''Accompanying photo''
/ref> The church owned the Salem Presbyterian Parsonage from 1854 to 1941.

History

The church currently sits on the land formerly owned by Benjamin Faris. When the county was formed, the newly installed justices were empowered to choose a time and place for holding their first court. "The time chosen was May 21, 1838; the place, Benjamin Fairs' tavern, where the Salem Presbyterian Church stands today." "In 1831 Salem Presbyterian Church was organized with the remaining members from Ebenezer and Catawba churches." Elijah McClanahan was an early member of the congregation. "He was also among the trustees chosen at the founding of the town of Salem, among the founding elders of Salem Presbyterian Church, and one of the largest landholders in the county." Wildwood Presbyterian Church came from the Salem Church. "The church was originally a chapel of Salem Church and was organized separately in 1954."

Construction

"The master builder has not been determined but it seems likely that it was

Benjamin Deyerle Benjamin Deyerle (1806–1883) was an architect, artist and brickmaker in Roanoke County, Virginia Roanoke County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, its population was 96,929. Its count ...

who built many of the finer Greek Revival plantation houses in the area. The church's woodwork is attributed to Gustavia D. Sedon ( Gustave A. Sedon), a well-known Roanoke County carpenter. Most of the architectural details are based on plates in ante-bellum builders' handbooks such as those of

Asher Benjamin Asher Benjamin (June 15, 1773July 26, 1845) was an American architect and author whose work transitioned between Federal architecture and the later Greek Revival architecture. His seven handbooks on design deeply influenced the look of cities and ...

and Owen Biddle, Jr." The Presbyterians organized in Salem in 1831. The local congregation outgrew their original church and began construction of the present building in 1851. Dedication services for the new building were held August 8, 1852. The church was built primarily with slave labor, and its bricks were burnt on the site. Its approximate cost was $4,500.00, and the entire amount was paid before the dedication service." Originally, the only illumination for the sanctuary were two four-branched candelabras on either side of the pulpit. These were later replaced by oil lamps that were used until electrical wiring was installed. Two wood burning stoves, one each placed on the eastern and western walls, were used to keep the building warm. Firewood was placed against the wall inside the church to be used for stoking when the wood in the stove burned down during services.Hoffer, Frank William
Presbyterian Churches of Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke, Va: Economy printing Company, 1938. The church was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1974. It is located in the Downtown Salem Historic District.

References

Bibliography

* Couper, William
History of the Shenandoah Valley
Vol. 11 ( N. Y., 1952). * Gresham, Le Roy, William Hervey Woods, Bessie Johnston, Jessie Rhett, Robert E. Lee, and Bessie Johnston
Papers of Le Roy Gresham
1780. Abstract: Papers including bound volume of manuscript poems by the Reverend William Hervey Woods; diary of Miss Bessie Johnston on a trip to Europe, 3 vols., 1872-73; diary of Miss Jessie Rhett of Mount Washington near Baltimore, 1895; two letterbooks of Le Roy Gresham, pastor of Chapel Hill, N.C. and later of Salem, Va., Presbyterian Church; 20 letters and notes of the Johnston family of Winchester, Va., 1862-97 including photostat of letter of Robert E. Lee to Bessie Johnston, 23 August 1869. * Harvey, Collier S
Prelude to the Present
Salem, Va: Salem Presbyterian Church, 1981. "Printed as a part of the observance of the 150th anniversary." * Roanoke's Architecture, unpublished catalogue of an architectural exhibit held in 1969, in archives of Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission.
Salem Presbyterian Church (Salem, Va.)
Salem Presbyterian Church; 2003 Directory.

lace of publication not identified Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is split into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted or ...

lan Mills 2003. * Salem Presbyterian Church (Salem, Va.)
Church Records, 1831-1967
irginia? astern Microfilm? 1968. * Tingalia, Cathy. "Salem and the Salem Presbyterian Church," unpublished ms, in the archives of Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission. * Wildwood Presbyterian Church (Salem, Va.)
Church Records, 1954-1966
irginia? Eastern Microfilm, 1967.

External links

Salem Presbyterian Church, 41 East Main Street, Salem, Salem, VA
1 photo and 1 photo caption page at

Historic American Buildings Survey The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...

{{National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Historic American Buildings Survey in Virginia Presbyterian churches in Virginia Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Greek Revival church buildings in Virginia Churches completed in 1851 19th-century Presbyterian church buildings in the United States Buildings and structures in Salem, Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Salem, Virginia Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Virginia 1851 establishments in Virginia Brick buildings and structures in Virginia