Salem United Methodist Church Archives
The Salem United Methodist Church Archives is a repository for materials dating back to the church’s founding in 1841. The collection includes newly translated German documents which give researchers insight into the economics of building a church in the 1840s. The documents trace the church’s significant growth in spite of the temperate, out-spoken nature of this German congregation within the heavily beer-drinking German population of St. Louis in the mid-late 1800s. The church’s documents parallel the St. Louis German population, phasing out the German language around 1900. Additionally, the Archives contains valuable genealogical information such as memberships, baptisms, marriages, and deaths. Researchers can follow the church’s transitions from German Methodist Episcopal, to Methodist Episcopal, to Methodist, and finally United Methodist. The material related to the inner-workings of the church include charge and church conference minutes, administrative notes, church directories, newsletters, and bulletins, as well as pieces from Salem’s second site, The Connection. Salem’s blueprint collection traces the vernacular growth of the church, dating from the early 20th century to the present, documenting Salem’s westward movement. Salem’s noteworthy ephemera and photograph collections offer further insight into the history of the church.
HOLDINGS
Paper Documents: Salem’s paper documents date back to the first days of the church in 1841. Then called the German Methodist Episcopal Church, many of the early documents are handwritten in German.
Ephemera (3-D objects): This collection is diverse, ranging from 1920s bowling trophies and a dartboard to silver spoons and a chuck of concrete.
Photographs: Salem has a large collection of photographs. They include early black-and-whites as well as carefully constructed scrapbooks. Every photograph, whether of a youth mission trip or a potluck dinner, tells a story.
Textiles: These holdings include numerous wool banners representing the busy sports teams of the 1930s. A quilt from Salem’s 1910 location as well as quilts from The Connection round out the textile holdings.
Artwork & Portraits: Architectural drawings of the church building and portraits of ministers are included in Salem’s artwork and portrait collection.
Media: Years of VHS tapes epitomize the challenges of fast-moving technology.
Blueprints: Ranging from 1905 until today, the architectural blueprints document Salem’s physical growth.
Address:
1200 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131
Phone: (314) 283-1779
Email: eterryhistory@gmail.com
Contact: Elizabeth Terry