House of David (commune) facts for kids
A look at the House of David and Eden Springs Amusement Park in 1910.
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| Founder | |
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| Benjamin and Mary Purnell | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Benton Harbor, Michigan | |
| Official website: http://www.israelitehouseofdavid.com/ | |
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Mary's City of David
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1158 E. Britain Ave., Benton Charter Township, Michigan  United States |
| NRHP reference No. | 09000201 |
| Added to NRHP | April 15, 2009 |
The House of David is a religious group that started in Benton Harbor, Michigan, in March 1903. It was founded by a married couple, Benjamin Purnell (1861–1927) and Mary Purnell (1862–1953). The Purnells believed they were following in the footsteps of Joanna Southcott (1750–1814). She was an English woman who had gained followers as a religious prophetess.
Contents
The House of David's Beginnings
In 1888, the Purnells learned about a group of preachers. These preachers spoke about a man named James Jershom Jezreel. He had written a series of sermons called Extracts from the Flying Roll. Benjamin and Mary joined this group, known as "the Visitation Movement." This movement was started by Joanna Southcott in 1792.
While studying Jezreel's writings, the Purnells saw that he mentioned a "Seventh and last Messenger." This messenger was supposedly talked about in the Bible. On March 12, 1895, the Purnells announced that they had become this seventh and final messenger.
The House of David was officially formed by Benjamin and Mary Purnell in 1903. This happened after they moved to Benton Harbor, Michigan. Before this, the Purnells lived in Fostoria, Ohio. They had two children. One of their children died at age 17 in a fireworks factory explosion. The Purnells chose not to attend the funeral. This was because of their beliefs about not being involved with the dead.
Benjamin Purnell wrote a book called The Church Ages. In it, he claimed to be the seventh and final messenger. He believed this was predicted in the book of Revelation.
Life in the Colony
The House of David colony quickly grew to include hundreds of members. By 1907, the House owned about 1,000 acres of land. On this land, the community grew fruit from many orchards. They also grew grain.
The community had its own cannery for preserving food. They also had a carpenter shop, a coach factory, and a tailor shop. There was even a steam laundry. They produced their own electricity, which powered the community. The House of David also had three brass bands and two orchestras. They even had a zoological garden with animals.
The community was very successful in the 1910s. However, its numbers decreased in the 1920s. Today, only a few members remain.
Famous Baseball Teams
Benjamin Purnell loved sports. He encouraged members of the Israelite Community to play sports, especially baseball. He believed it helped build physical and spiritual strength.
In 1913, the Israelite House of David started playing competitive baseball. By 1915, they had a very busy schedule. The House of David became well-known as a barnstorming baseball team. This means they traveled across rural America from the 1920s to the 1950s. They played against amateur and semi-pro teams in exhibition games.
The team played to earn money for their families and their community. They also used the opportunity to share their beliefs. Team members were known for their long hair and beards while they played.
By the late 1920s, the House of David started hiring professional players. This was to make their team even better. Famous players like Grover Cleveland Alexander, Satchel Paige, and Mordecai Brown joined them. Some professional players grew beards to show respect. Others wore fake beards.
The House of David teams were very skilled. They played against some of the best teams in the country. This included Major League, Minor League, independent, and Negro league teams. They were known for their fair play. At one point, the community had three different traveling teams. These teams played and shared their beliefs wherever they went. The House of David teams were also famous for inventing "pepper" baseball tricks. These were fancy moves, similar to what the Harlem Globetrotters do in basketball.
The House of David continued to support traveling teams into the 1930s. They then sponsored weekend semi-professional teams until the 1940s. Mary's City of David also sent out traveling teams from 1930 to 1940, and again from 1946 to 1955. Many teams used the House of David name and wore beards during this time. The most famous was probably the Black House of David. This was an all-African-American team that played only against Negro league teams.
The House of David inspired the James Sturm graphic novel, The Golem's Mighty Swing. In this book, the team was called the "Stars of David." They also inspired Harry Turtledove's fantasy novel The House of Daniel. The House of David was also shown in a part of Ken Burns' Baseball TV series. They were also featured in the movie The Winning Team (1952), which was about pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander.
Since 2001, a vintage base ball club has honored the House of David teams. This club is called the House of David Echoes BBC. They play baseball using rules from 1858. They also grow their beards and play at historic Eastman Field in Michigan. In 2016, the Echoes moved to the original 1914 baseball field at Eden Springs Park. They plan to keep using this field.
Musical Bands and Parks
The House of David also had popular musical bands. These bands toured the country almost constantly between 1906 and 1927. They performed on major vaudeville circuits like the Pantages, Keith, and Orpheum.
The organization operated a well-known zoo and amusement park in Benton Harbor, Michigan. They also created "The Springs of Eden Park." This park became a popular vacation spot in Michigan during the 1930s. A new version, Eden Springs Park, reopened in late 2011. This made it one of the few amusement parks in America to successfully reopen.
One of the main attractions at The Springs of Eden Park was its miniature trains. These trains were powered by coal and bought in 1908. Members of the community first saw similar trains at the 1904 Worlds Fair in St. Louis. The trains were used to carry people from the main entrance to the amusement park.
In 2000, one of these trains was bought by the Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation Group. It was fixed up and is now used at a railway museum in Findlay, Ohio. In 2011, the railroad at the House of David became active again.
Other fun things at the park included miniature racing cars, a restaurant, and a penny arcade. There were also pony rides, dances, and shows at the amphitheater.
