Salem Methodist Episcopal Church and Salem Walker Cemetery (Northville, Michigan)

The Salem Methodist Episcopal Church (also known as the Salem Walker Church) and associated Salem Walker Cemetery is a historic church and cemetery located at 7150 Angle Road, in Salem Township, Michigan with a postal designation of Northville, Michigan. The church and cemetery were added to the National Register in 1992 and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1991.[2] The church is significant as one of the least-altered Greek Revival churches existing in the state of Michigan.

Salem Methodist Episcopal Church and Salem Walker Cemetery
Location7150 Angle Road
Northville, Michigan
Coordinates42°24′38″N 83°37′25″W
Area2.5 acres (1.0 ha)
Built1864
Architectural styleGreek Revival
NRHP reference No.92001054[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPAugust 18, 1992
Designated MSHSJuly 18, 1991[2]

History
Entrance to Salem Walker Cemetery

The first settlers in Salem Township arrived in 1825.[3] The first burial in the Salem Walker Cemetery took place in 1834.[2] The congregation of the Salem Methodist Episcopal Church formed in the mid-19th century, and met at various places in the township until the 25 members constructed a church adjacent to the cemetery in 1864. The congregation grew to about 60 by 1880, but later declined.[3] Services continued at the church until 1912, after which the congregation abandoned it. In 1908, the Salem Walker Cemetery association founded to care for the cemetery and in 1930, it contacted the Methodist conference about purchasing the church. The next year, the Association purchased the church for $200. The church building is rented for weddings and other gatherings.[2]

In 2012, scenes for the movie The Five-Year Engagement were filmed at the church.[4]

Description

The Salem Walker Church is a single story Greek Revival structure built on a square plan and surmounted by a belfry.[2] The nearby Salem Walker cemetery is enclosed by a 1909 ornamental fence.[2]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Salem Methodist Episcopal Church and Salem Walker Cemetery". Michigan State Housing Development Authority: Historic Sites Online. Archived from the original on 2013-04-21. Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  3. History of Washtenaw County, Michigan. Chicago: C.C. Chapman & Company. 1881. pp. 599–616.
  4. Eberbach, Jennifer (April 28, 2012). "Locally filmed 'The Five-Year Engagement' gets laughs from Ann Arbor on opening night". The Ann Arbor News. AnnArbor.com. Retrieved 2013-11-20.

Further reading
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