Welcome to Historic Salem Cemetery Society

Join us for worship and community events in Freedom, NY.

Explore our Events

Welcome to Historic Salem Cemetery Society

Join us for worship and community events in Freedom, NY.

Explore our Events

Welcome to Salem Church

Our Mission

Welcome to Salem Welsh Church

In the early 1840s, Welsh immigrants from Herkimer and Oneida Counties settled in Freedom, soon joined by others from Pennsylvania. United by faith and heritage, they formed the congregation that built Salem Welsh Church — a cornerstone of community and worship that endures to this day.

The adjoining cemetery stands as a sacred tribute to these pioneering families who sacrificed so much to build a new life while preserving their beloved traditions.

We invite you to explore our history and honor the legacy of those who laid the foundation for everything Salem Welsh Church represents today.

Salem Welsh Church

Our BIG Celebration!

JUNE 7, 2026

SALEM WELSH CHURCH

Freedom, NY

Celebrate the 100th Anniversary

This year marks 100 years since the first service of remembrance that became known as the White Service was held, For many years, the Salem Church had been a vibrant center of religious, cultural and artistic activities for the Welsh in the greater Freedom-Farmersville area.

Beginning in 1926, an annual service has been held at the "Little White Church" to honor our Welsh immigrant ancestors and to remember the contributions they have made to this area of Western New York State and beyond.

ALL are invited to join in the 100th year celebration!!

Join us for our Special Worship

100 Year Anniversary

Greet old friends:

Meet new ones

11:00 AM

Service

Wonderful music

and singing

Luncheon to follow

History of Salem Welsh Church

Origins and Construction

Salem Welsh Church, also known as Salem Presbyterian Church, is a Greek Revival-style Presbyterian church located in Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, constructed between 1854 and 1855. It was originally built as the Calvinistic Methodist Church by Welsh settlers who had migrated to the area from Herkimer and Oneida Counties.

Architecture

Origins and Construction

The Greek Revival-style church features eight shuttered windows and double entrance doors, sitting on a foundation of rectangular stones. The interior includes an entry hall with doors leading to each side of the sanctuary, illuminated by a large window. Two cast-iron wood stoves with stovepipes suspended from the ceiling provided heat, while hanging oil lamps supplied light. Wooden box pews and kneelers filled the sanctuary’s center and sides, and an Estey pump organ accompanied congregational singing. A large pulpit and choir area occupied a raised platform at the front.

Congregation and Name

Origins and Construction

Congregation and Name

The congregation’s affiliation was Welsh Calvinistic Methodist until 1892, when the Calvinistic Methodists became Presbyterian. The name “Salem” was used extensively in Wales to designate a place of worship and, according to the Bible dictionary, means “peace.” The word SALEM was painted in block letters over the front doors, and the church became known as Salem Presbyterian.

Community Role

Decline and Dormancy

Congregation and Name

The little church served as both a place of worship and a community gathering space for readings, meetings, and song festivals called gymanfa ganu — a Welsh choral tradition. The first two children baptized in the church were David W. Davis and David Hooper around 1855, and the last regular baptism was of David Jones in 1899.

Decline and Dormancy

Regular services ended before World War I. As time passed into the early 1900s, the older congregation was dying away, and the younger generation had either left the community or were attending churches conducting services in English.

Revival Efforts

Decline and Dormancy

The church lay in quiet dormancy until 1926, when Dr. Albert and Mattie Evans approached Trustee Lewis Jones and arranged to have the cemetery mowed and trimmed and the church reopened for a memorial service. Later, Welsh societies from Buffalo, NY, Toronto, Ontario, and St. Catharines, Ontario held annual services at the Salem Welsh Church to maintain its connection with Wales.

Transfer of Stewardship

In 1975, the church was deeded to the Salem Cemetery Society by the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Church Society called Salem. While remaining in its untouched glory, the church has been maintained with loving care, with necessary repairs being made. A notable later event occurred on July 14, 2001, when Rev. Canon W. David C. Thomas, an Anglican priest from Wales, officiated at the baptism of Maria Bronwen Ziaja — the first baptism held there in over a century.

Historic Designation

Transfer of Stewardship

The property has been maintained since 1926 by the Salem Cemetery Society, Inc., and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. The church is located at 11141 NY Route 98, at the junction of Galen Hill Road in Freedom, NY.

Today

Transfer of Stewardship

Today

Salem Welsh Church stands today as a remarkable testament to the Welsh immigrant community that settled in western New York in the mid-19th century, preserving their language, faith, and cultural traditions far from their homeland.

Cemetery Information

Origins and Welsh Roots

The Salem Cemetery Society website dedicates itself to the descendants of Welsh immigrants who left Wales to come to America. Some of these immigrants came from Herkimer and Oneida Counties and settled in Freedom during the early 1840s, with many others later immigrating from Pennsylvania. These settlers formed the congregation that built the Salem Welsh Church and buried their loved ones in the adjoining cemetery.

Founding of the Salem Cemetery Society

On September 26, 1926, a meeting was called at the church with all those interested in the upkeep of the little Salem cemetery asked to attend. At this meeting, the Salem Cemetery Society, Inc. was organized. Its purpose was to put the cemetery in order and, if possible, provide and maintain perpetual care of the gravesites. In response to appeals for funds, donations were received which enabled the Society to make the necessary improvements in the cemetery.

Who Is Buried There

Familiar Welsh names are found in the cemetery. Burials included surnames of Jones, Thomas, Williams, Parry, Davis and Davies, Hooper, Morgan, Wheeler, Charles, Roberts, Hughes, Anwyl, and Owens.

Ownership and Burial Eligibility

Salem is a privately owned cemetery. Plots are issued to Salem Cemetery Society members and only Welsh descendants and their families can be interred.

The Fence and Grounds

Once encircled all around with ornate fencing and a front gate, the original fence is now only on three sides of the property. Several accidents and a widening of the roadway have caused the eastward facing front fencing and gate to be removed. A recent accident resulted in replacing damaged stones, re-setting a stone and, because it could not be replicated, a new fence was installed on three sides of the cemetery.

Historical Records and Archives

Past Historian Donalene Jones Ring compiled many scrapbooks of photos and articles until her death in 2013. She also archived the Welsh translated records and other materials. Framed photographs of the church and people from past congregations have been placed on the chair rail around the sanctuary. Obituaries for many of the persons buried in Salem are in the archives.

Connection to the Salem Welsh Church

The cemetery is directly tied to the Salem Welsh Church next door, which was constructed in 1854–55. The church property was deeded to the Salem Cemetery Society in 1975, making the Society stewards of both the historic church building and the cemetery grounds — a continuing testament to the Welsh immigrant community that put down deep roots in Cattaraugus County in the mid-19th century.

Welcome to Historic Salem Cemetery Society

Welcome to Historic Salem Cemetery Society

Welcome to Salem Church

Our Mission

Salem Welsh Church

Our BIG Celebration!

Join us for our Special Worship

History of Salem Welsh Church

Origins and Construction

Origins and Construction

Origins and Construction

Architecture

Origins and Construction

Origins and Construction

Congregation and Name

Origins and Construction

Congregation and Name

Community Role

Decline and Dormancy

Congregation and Name

Decline and Dormancy

Decline and Dormancy

Decline and Dormancy

Revival Efforts

Decline and Dormancy

Decline and Dormancy

Transfer of Stewardship

Transfer of Stewardship

Transfer of Stewardship

Historic Designation

Transfer of Stewardship

Transfer of Stewardship

Today

Transfer of Stewardship

Today

Our Journey Together

Cemetery Information

Origins and Welsh Roots

Founding of the Salem Cemetery Society

Who Is Buried There

Ownership and Burial Eligibility

The Fence and Grounds

Historical Records and Archives

Connection to the Salem Welsh Church

Welcome

Contact Us

Drop us a line!

Better yet, see us in person!

Salem Cemetery Society

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