Atlas Obscura

The Remains of the House of David

The House of David Syncopators, a traveling band.

FotoGuy 49057/CC BY 2.0

Atlas Obscura on Slate is a blog about the world’s hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Editor’s note, Nov. 21: The original version of this post contained material from an article in the Detroit Free Press without proper attribution and contained several errors of fact. The original post did not meet Slate’s standards, and we regret the errors. The text has been revised with attributions and links to properly credit the Free Press and its writer, John Carlisle.

The church pews, miniature train, and bandstands of the House of David used to be overflowing with believers. Now, the cultish religious colony has just a few members, but the history of the commune can be seen in its remaining buildings—the opulent century-old mansions and smaller brick houses that sit mostly deserted.

The House of David began in 1903 by Benjamin Purnell, who claimed to be prophet of God. Thousands relocated to Benton Harbor, Michigan to follow Purnell’s “House of David” and live in the commune that promised Heaven on Earth. Members abstained from all vices, and all worldly goods were shared among the community. However despite the austere lifestyle, members of the House of David were no sticks in the mud, as the Detroit Free Press reported in a recent profile on the group.

They were known for being wholesome and fun, even operating a zoo, a farmer’s market, and an amusement park called Eden Springs which drew neighbors in. Chris Siriano, the owner, grew up nearby but is unaffiliated with the colony. He told  Detroit Free Press, “They wanted to have fun; they wanted to invite America into their lives; they loved to entertain and laugh and have a blast.”

The colony was perhaps best known for its baseball team. The traveling team was founded in 1914 and became popular not just because of the oddity of their appearance (the men had long, uncut hair and beards to appear in the likeness of Christ), but also because they were quite good. They became popular enough that they hired outside professional players, some of whom grew out their facial hair in deference to the God of Israel. Others just wore fake beards.

The House of David met its controversial end when Benjamin Purnell was accused of the rape of dozens of the girls and women in the community, leading to a fraud conviction. The community was rift in two and numbers dwindled. Today the few remaining members keep up the grounds of the once self-sustaining community, operate their own museum, and remain ever-friendly to visitors.

The zoo has been deserted, and the amusement park too. If you drive down East Britain Avenue in Benton Harbor though, you can still see the gorgeous mansions Purnell built for himself and his wife, along with the followers’ modest brick houses nearby. Driving through the dirt lanes of the commune one can still see the restaurant building, the auditorium, the baseball field and churches, all of which serve as a reminder of what the House of David used to be.

Contributed by Atlas Obscura user OaktownMini

If you liked this, you’ll probably enjoy Atlas Obscura’s New York Times bestselling book, which collects more than 700 of the world’s strangest and most amazing places: Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders.