Home to one of Catonsville's oldest congregations, Salem has served as one of the beloved "stone bookends" of Frederick Road's main corridor in Catonsville for more than 120 years (the other being First National Bank at 640 Frederick Road).

 

During the mid-19th century, German citizens flooded to the United States seeking refuge from economic turmoil, many arriving in Baltimore. Some settled in Catonsville along Ingleside Avenue in an area soon known as "Germantown." Within this group were German Lutherans, who formed a congregation in 1849 and began to meet at what is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places as Old Salem Church, 701 Ingleside Avenue. By the end of the century, Catonsville's population was booming, prompting Salem members to erect a meetinghouse here.

 

Building this church on Frederick Road reflected how these first- and second-generation German immigrants hoped to assert themselves as part of the American mainstream. While holding onto their heritage by worshipping together, the congregation's move from Germantown to the village's central road, and their shift to services fully in English instead of German, integrated them into Catonsville society.

 

Beyond its valuable service to its congregants, the church at this location hosted one of the first Head Start programs in this part of Baltimore County. It continues to serve as a free community meeting space and hosts projects in service to the poor, elderly, refugees, the sick, and the planet. Salem also houses a local black box theater, art gallery, murals, and numerous concerts.