On April 4, 1870, a group of 50 Swedish settlers organized the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Samuel Church under the leadership of Pastor A. Hult, who at that time was also serving the DeKalb First Lutheran Congregation.
By 1874, a wooden church building had been erected on Charles Street, which housed the congregation for almost a quarter of a century. Realizing the need for educational space, steps were taken in 1878 to establish a one-room schoolhouse in the forested area north of Sycamore, which was becoming settled by immigrant families who cleared and lived on the land.
The North Grove School was originally constructed to provide space for Sunday school classes. The DeKalb County Public School System purchased the school later in 1878, but the terms of the sale allowed the Lutherans to continue using the school as a Sunday school, and it served that original purpose for 40 years.
In 1881, church membership had increased dramatically as the influx of Swedes to this area continued, and the need for a larger building loomed on the horizon.
The Sycamore congregation had by then separated from the DeKalb church and renamed itself Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church.
After many years of discussion, planning and construction, a new church home was completed on the corner of Somonauk and Charles streets, and was dedicated in 1897.
At the turn of the 20th century, after the English language had infiltrated much of the Swedish community, the church began holding services in English and allowing women voting rights pertaining to church matters. The wheels of progress were turning and the church roster had swollen to include more than 1,000 members.
Salem’s current home, at 1145 DeKalb Ave., held its first service on Thanksgiving Day in 1969 and was dedicated in 1970.
Pastor Janet L. Hunt, along with the staff and the congregation, extend an invitation to any in the community looking for a church home.