House of David (commune)
Image of House of David and Eden Springs Amusement park in 1910. Miniature railroad depot can be seen in the background.
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| Founder | |
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| Benjamin and Mary Purnell | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Benton Harbor, Michigan | |
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Mary's City of David
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Location within the state of Michigan
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| Location | 1158 E. Britain Ave., Benton Charter Township, Michigan  United States
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| Coordinates | 42°6′32″N 86°25′51″W / 42.10889°N 86.43083°WCoordinates: 42°6′32″N 86°25′51″W / 42.10889°N 86.43083°W |
| NRHP Reference # | 09000201 |
| Added to NRHP | April 15, 2009 |
The House of David (formally the The Israelite House of David) is a religious society co-founded by Benjamin and Mary Purnell in Benton Harbor, Michigan, in March 1903.
In 1888 the Purnells discovered a group of preachers extolling a man named James Jershom Jezreel as the Sixth Messenger. Jezrel had published three books known as Extracts from the Flying Roll. While the preachers were in Richmond, Benjamin and Mary joined their group, known as "the Visitation Movement", which was started by a woman named Joanna Southcott, the First Messenger (Angel), in 1792. While studying the writings of Jezreel they noticed that the Seventh and last Messenger was soon to be on the scene, which is mentioned in Revelation 10:7. On March 12, 1895, the Purnells announced that the spirit of Shiloh had bonded with them to become the seventh and last messenger.
The House of David was formed by Benjamin and Mary Purnell in 1903 after settling in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Prior to that, the Purnells lived in Fostoria, Ohio and had two children, one of whom died in a firework factory explosion at the age of 16. The Purnells were looked down upon by residents of the city when they decided to forego the funeral due to their beliefs of not having anything to do with the dead.
The House of David colony soon had several hundred members. In 1906, the House owned about 1,000 acres, on which the colony harvested fruit from a dozen orchards and cultivated grain. The commune had its own cannery, carpenter shop, coach factory, tailor shop, and steam laundry. They also owned and operated their own electricity plant, providing lighting to the community. It had three brass bands and two orchestras, and a zoological garden.
Accusations arose in the 1920s towards Benjamin F. Purnell by 13 young women confessing, under oaths to the courts, that they had sexual relations with the patriarch while still minors. As soon as this became public knowledge, the Detroit Free Press and other newspapers ran critical articles about Purnell. He died in 1927.
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