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Welcome to the Salem Church Audio Walking Tour. Explore the history of these grounds from the establishment of the church through the site's role during the Civil War as a civilian refuge, battle site, and hospital, to its preservation in the 1900s.
This tour of Salem Church can be viewed at home or can be used as a guide onsite. If following this tour onsite, the distance covered will be less than half a mile and the tour will take about 30 minutes to complete.
This audio tour is also available via the National Park Service app (available at the Apple Store and on Google Play).
If following the tour onsite, park at the Old Salem Church parking lot and take the small trail leading to the church yard clearing.
Constructed in 1844, historic Salem Church was one of many local churches located in Spotsylvania County, Virginia on the eve of the Civil War. Today, Salem Church is often recognized for its role as a refugee camp and battle ground during the Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville Campaigns. This tour explores the history of Salem Church from its initial development through its preservation by the National Park Service. Here in the church yard, learn about the community that gathered here each week on the eve of war.
Salem Church Audio Walking Tour, #1, Salem Church Before the War
Welcome to the Salem Church Audio Walking Tour! Constructed in 1844, historic Salem Church was one of many local churches in Spotsylvania County on the eve of the Civil War. Today, Salem Church is often recognized for its role as a refugee camp and battle ground during the Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville Campaigns. This tour explores the history of Salem Church from its initial development through its preservation. At this stop, learn about the community that gathered here each week on the eve of war.
Welcome to Salem Church. This audio walking tour includes five stops and covers one tenth of a mile. To begin the tour, leave the parking lot and walk toward the historic church building to the north. Stop in front of the sign titled, “Salem Church.” The sign is accompanied by a wooden bench.
The one-and-a-half story, brick building in front of you is the historic Salem Baptist Church, constructed in 1844. Today, the church’s congregation meets weekly in the building to your right. In 1961, the congregation donated the property to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. Though easily overlooked due to the modern development that now surrounds the site, Salem Church serves as an important reminder of the Civil War’s impact on everyday Americans.
Today, we often think of a Civil War battlefield as an expansive piece of open ground, defined by surviving rows of earthworks, cannons, and split rail fencing. Yet, battlefields also encompass the homes, roadways, and communities that preexisted them. Ordinary places like Salem Church were forever changed and redefined by war. At the time of the Civil War, Salem Church was one of twelve churches in northern Spotsylvania County.
On the eve of the Civil War, local resident Melzi Chancellor served as Salem Church’s pastor. At the time, Salem Baptist Church had roughly eighty members, one fourth of whom were Black. Virginia laws forbade Black Americans from gathering in public, which greatly limited their ability to form their own church congregations, unless a white overseer presided over church services. Additionally, enslaved people often had to receive a pass from their enslaver to travel independently. Some of Salem’s white attendees brought the people they enslaved with them to church services. Before the Civil War, policing of Black religious activity allowed supporters of slavery to maintain power.
During the Antebellum period, church rules dictated that Salem’s Black congregants had to sit in the upper gallery, accessed through the doorway in front of you. White members entered through the main doors on the west side and sat in pews on the ground level. As debates over slavery and secession spread throughout the country, several Christian denominations, including Baptists, split into pro- and anti-slavery factions. Many of Salem’s members supported slavery, including Reverend Chancellor, who enslaved seven people.
When the Civil War began in 1861, church congregations throughout the nation had already divided over the issue of slavery. Think about how Salem Church’s attendees, both free and enslaved, reacted to the outbreak of war. In the matter of one year, war scattered Salem Church’s congregation.
The next stop on the tour is the church cemetery. Continue to the right of the building and stop in front of the entrance to the cemetery, indicated by an opening in the wooden fence.
Walking Directions to the Salem Church Cemetery, Stop #2
The next stop on the tour is the Salem Church Cemetery Entrance. The cemetery is located to the east of Old Salem Church (right if you are facing the church from Stop #1). Please be respectful of the cemetery.
During the Battle of Fredericksburg, thousands of civilians fled from their homes in search of safety. At this stop, learn about the refugee camp that formed here at Salem Church in December 1862. How do the stories of civilians help us better understand the Civil War?
Salem Church Audio Walking Tour, #2, The Battle of Fredericksburg
The second stop on the Salem Church Audio Walking Tour is the Salem Church Cemetery. During the Battle of Fredericksburg, thousands of civilians fled from their homes in search of safety. At this stop, learn about the refugee camp that formed here at Salem Church in December 1862. How do the stories of civilians help us better understand the Civil War?
In front of you is the Salem Baptist Church Cemetery, which remains in use today. When the Civil War began, the cemetery consisted of a single grave. Many of the graves located in the cemetery belong to local residents who witnessed the events that unfolded in Spotsylvania County during the Civil War. While some decided to take up arms, others remained at home. Their stories remind us that both soldiers and civilians determined the war’s outcome. To learn more about the people buried at Salem Church, explore the articles linked to this audio tour.
By 1862, war caused Salem Church’s leaders to close its doors. In mid-November of that year, the U.S. Army of the Potomac and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia moved into Fredericksburg, six miles east of here. Their arrival prompted the town’s residents to consider fleeing in fear that a battle would soon occur. Think about the uncertainty that civilians faced during this time as they tried to decide whether to leave or remain at home. Where would they go? What would they bring with them? How long would they be gone?
As Fredericksburg became a battleground, thousands of civilians flooded the roads leading out of town. Many of them moved west into Spotsylvania County along the Orange Turnpike, or modern-day Route 3. Hundreds of these civilians gathered here at Salem Church and formed a refugee camp on the grounds. Fredericksburg resident Frances Bernard described what she saw as she passed by the church on December 12: “All was bustle and confusion…Some were cooking outside…and those who were infirm or sick were trying to get some rest in the cold, bare church.”
Even though the battle ended on December 15, many of Fredericksburg’s residents did not return to their homes until the war’s end. In the aftermath of the battle, the Confederacy raised over $170,000 for the people of Fredericksburg. No amount of cash could offset the economic hardships and supply shortages plaguing the Confederacy as a whole. In the battle’s aftermath, the Confederate Army camped in Fredericksburg and awaited the arrival of spring weather. During their stay, many Confederate soldiers pillaged the area for resources, often at the detriment of local civilians. Douglas Gordon, a resident of Fredericksburg and Confederate supporter, complained, “Indeed our troops are plundering and defiling every house in town and yet we must be silent for fear of giving encouragement to the enemy.”
In many ways, the Battle of Fredericksburg brought national attention to the war’s impact on noncombatants. While the Confederacy tried to address the damage done to civilians’ homes during the course of the battle, many of the problems that The civilians who took refuge here at Salem Church faced additional uncertainty second battle broke out the following May.
The next stop on the tour is the United Daughters of the Confederacy monument. Continue past the church building and walk to the monument, located in the western corner of the churchyard. As you pass the church, take note of the exterior wall to your left.
Walking Directions to the UDC Monument - Battle of Salem Church, Stop #3
The next stop on the tour is the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) Monument - Battle of Salem Church. From the cemetery, continue towards Route 3 to the other side of the church. Located a little to the north of the church is a granite block base topped with a bronze tablet. This is the UDC Monument.
During the Battle of Chancellorsville, Salem Church became the site of intense fighting as US and Confederate armies moved west from Fredericksburg. In the battle’s aftermath, Confederate surgeons used the church building to treat hundreds of wounded soldiers. At this stop, learn how the fighting that took place here impacted the battle’s outcome. What importance does it carry today?
Salem Church Audio Walking Tour, #3, The Battle of Chancellorsville
The third stop on the Salem Church Audio Walking Tour is the Salem Church Cemetery. During the Battle of Chancellorsville, Salem Church became the site of intense fighting as U.S. and Confederate armies moved west from Fredericksburg. In the battle’s aftermath, Confederate surgeons used the church building to treat hundreds of wounded soldiers. At this stop, learn how the fighting that took place here impacted the battle’s outcome. What importance does it carry today?
After the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Union and Confederate armies encamped on opposite sides of the town, separated only by the Rappahannock River. In late April 1863, the U.S. Army of the Potomac’s new commander, General Joseph Hooker, embarked on a campaign that he hoped would catch General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army off guard. General Hooker left about 23,000 men in Fredericksburg under the command of General John Sedgwick, while he led the rest of the U.S. army northwest along the rivers. Once well behind Confederate lines, Hooker planned to move his army east down the Orange Turnpike toward Fredericksburg and catch the Confederates between the two pieces of his army.
Joseph Hooker faced no major setbacks until May 1st, when part of Lee’s army advanced west from Fredericksburg and engaged with U.S. forces near Chancellorsville, six miles west of here. Lee left 10,000 soldiers under General Jubal Early in Fredericksburg to hold Sedgwick’s force in place. For the next four days, an intense battle raged around the small hamlet of Chancellorsville. On the night of May 2nd, Hooker sent word to Sedgwick in Fredericksburg, ordering him to cross the Rappahannock River opposite the town and move west to Chancellorsville. He also told Sedgwick to “attack and destroy any force you may fall in with on the road.”
Confederate riflemen positioned in the church’s upper gallery windows awaited Sedgwick’s advance Around 3:00 in the afternoon, Sedgwick’s force moved down the Orange Turnpike and crested the ridge up to Salem Church. The Confederates counterattacked and drove Sedgwick’s men back down the hill. The next day, Sedgwick’s odds worsened considerably when thousands of Confederates arrived from Chancellorsville, forcing him to cross over the Rappahannock River to the north. Knowing that Sedgwick would no longer be able to offer relief, Joseph Hooker withdrew his army over the river on the night of May 5th, bringing the Battle of Chancellorsville to a hasty end.
In the battle’s aftermath, the Confederate Army used Salem Church as a field hospital, utilizing “every available foot of space,” according to Robert McMillan of the 24th Georgia. Confederates buried the remains of soldiers from both armies here on the church grounds. Captain William Fagan of the 8th Alabama Infantry described the work they carried out: “Near the church a long grave was dug. After lining the bottom with blankets, we placed in it one hundred and twenty-six Federal soldiers.” Today, reminders of the intense fighting that took place here at Salem Church are still visible ooking at the exterior wall closest to the cemetery, you can see marks on the bricks where U.S. soldiers attempted to dislodge Confederate sharpshooters positioned inside.
The monument in front of you, erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1927, recognizes the actions that took place here in May 1863. Yet, it also helps us understand how our nation has remembered Salem Church over time. The monument consists of a bronze tablet that rests atop a granite block base. During its dedication, Southern historian Douglas Southall Freeman recognized the heroism of both armies but explained that the area’s battlefields represent the “military genius of the leader of the Southern Confederacy, General Robert E. Lee.” As you walk to the next tour stop, consider how U.S. veterans would remember this place. What does this monument’s existence tell us about the people who had access to this space in 1927?
The next stop on the tour is the 23rd New Jersey Monument, located alongside Route 3. Turn back to face the cemetery. Follow the center path through the cemetery. After exiting the cemetery, turn left and continue toward Route 3 to the north. As you walk, be mindful of vehicle traffic. Stop in front of the monument.
Walking Directions to the 23rd New Jersey Monument, Stop #4
The next stop on the tour is the 23rd New Jersey Monument, located to the east of Salem Church beyond the cemetery, next to Route 3. Walk from the UDC Monument towards the 20-foot tall granite monument topped with a depiction of a Union soldier. You will be wlking the same direction as traffic. Route 3 is a very busy road; be careful to stay a safe distance away from the road.
After the Civil War, Salem Church’s congregation returned and found their church building in disrepair. At this stop, learn about the steps that the local community took to rebuild after four years of conflict. How did US and Confederate veterans commemorate their actions at Salem Church? What do the changes they made to the landscape tell us about the realities of reunification?
Salem Church Audio Walking Tour, #4, A Changing Landscape
The fourth stop on the Salem Church Audio Walking Tour is the 23rd New Jersey Monument. After the Civil War, Salem Church’s congregation returned and found their church building in disrepair. At this stop, learn about the steps that the local community took to rebuild after four years of conflict. How did U.S. and Confederate veterans commemorate their actions at Salem Church? What do the changes they made to the landscape tell us about the realities of reunification?
When the Civil War ended in 1865, war-torn communities throughout the country struggled to rebuild. Between 1865 and 1868, the U.S. Burial Corps scoured the area for the remains of Union soldiers and reinterred them in the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. Of the one hundred and twenty-six Union soldiers buried here at Salem Church in 1863, only six of them rest in identified graves today. Local organizations oversaw the burial of Confederate soldiers in two nearby Confederate cemeteries. In 1866, Salem’s congregation returned and made repairs to their church building. Yet, recovery did not solely involve repairing infrastructure or burying the dead. Recovery also meant healing a divided nation.
In the postwar era, Salem Church’s physical and social landscape changed dramatically. The site became the focus of veterans’ organizations working to memorialize their actions on the battlefield. The monuments and markers that you see on the grounds today are reminders of the steps that Americans took to remember the actions of soldiers on both sides of the conflict. Yet, they also remind us of the issues that our nation continued to face at the time of their creation.
At the war’s end, former Confederates tried to explain the reason for their defeat by creating a narrative known as the Lost Cause, which argued that the Confederacy did not fight for slavery. Its initial developer, author Edward Pollard, called for a “war of ideas” that would allow Southerners to maintain their identity. The Lost Cause and Southern religious life became intertwined. Many Southern ministers used the Lost Cause to call for racial segregation. Due in part to the Lost Cause’s prevalence, Salem Church only had white me Through the rest of the 1800s, the State of Virginia stripped away many of the freedoms granted to Black Americans in 1865.
During this tumultuous time, veterans of the 23rd New Jersey Infantry Regiment gathered here at Salem Church in 1906 and dedicated the monument in front of you. The monument consists of a stone base, with bronze tablets on each side, topped with a stone statue depicting a U.S. soldier. Consider the words written on the monument’s west side: “to the memory of our heroic comrades, who gave their lives for their Country’s unity….” Think back to the previous tour stop. Consider how the creators of each monument chose to remember the Civil War differently. While both monuments were created in the spirit of reconciliation, veterans and their descendants still remained divided in some ways. What unresolved issues did veterans overlook by focusing on a heroic version of the war’s events? And what does the addition of a United Daughters of the Confederacy monument twenty years after this monument’s creation tell us about how white Virginians remembered the war over time?
As the only place of worship managed by the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, Salem Church provides us with a unique opportunity to recognize the role that Southern churches played in the outbreak and outcome of the Civil War. The division that occurred within church congregations throughout the South reflected the national discord that ultimately led to disunion and war. By considering Salem Church’s history from a variety of perspectives and time periods, we can better understand how the Civil War played out in individual communities across the country. Just as veterans returned here in the postwar era to Salem Church to reflect on the war’s events and determine what the war had accomplished, Salem Church serves as a place to think deeply about how the Civil War continues to shape our nation today.
As you return to the parking lot, take a brief moment to explore the historic church building. Read the information included on the National Park Service app to learn about the building’s interior.
Walking Directions to Salem Church, Stop #5
The last stop on the tour is back at Old Salem Church. Retrace your steps to return to the building. As you walk, think about the landscape around you and how it has changed since the 1840s when this congregation was established.
This tour has traced the history of Salem Church, from its establishment, through the American Civil War, and into the 1900s. Through all of this the Salem Church congregation remained active and in 1961 the congregation donated their historic building and its surrounding landscape to the National Park Service. The preservation of the space opened another chapter in its storied past. At this stop, think about what it means to preserve historic spaces like Old Salem Church.
Salem Church Audio Walking Tour, #5, Learning from the Built Environment
The fifth and last stop of the Salem Church Audio Walking Tour is back at Old Salem Church. This tour has traced the history of Salem Church, from its establishment, through the American Civil War, and into the 1900s. Through all of this the Salem Church congregation remained active and in 1961 the congregation donated their historic building and its surrounding landscape to the National Park Service. At this stop, think about what it means to preserve historic spaces like Old Salem Church.
Despite the damage that Salem Church suffered during the Civil War, the church’s congregation devoted special care to its repair and upkeep over time. After the Salem Church congregation donated its historic building to the National Park Service in 1961, preservation experts carried out additional repairs to ensure that the historic building would be available for generations to come. During this rehabilitation project, park staff learned many important insights about the church’s history, both from the building itself and from community members who generously shared their stories about this historic place.
On the church’s interior, the first floor consists of an open sanctuary with a pulpit located along the eastern wall. Two columns of wooden pews face the pulpit. The church’s two upper galleries are still present today, the southern gallery historically used by Black attendees and the northern gallery used as overflow space for white attendees. Originally, access to the northern gallery was provided by an interior staircase, while Black churchgoers had to use an outdoor staircase to access the southern gallery. Investigations revealed that the congregation replaced this outdoor staircase with an interior stairwell in the 1940s. Studying Salem Church’s built environment allows us to better understand how its congregation responded to broader political and social trends over time.
Take a closer look at the building in front of you. What questions arise as you examine it? Consider the labor required to construct this building. Think about the ways in which people attached meaning to this place over time depending on their background. Today, physical evidence of the church’s wartime usage is still visible inside, such as graffiti and bullet holes left behind by Civil War soldiers. These surviving features represent the people who passed through this place during a time of war, but also the people who contributed to the preservation of Salem Church.
