The House of David was a religious company as well as a baseball team
- Benjamin and Mary Purnell founded the Israelite House of David in 1903, Michigan
- It was a well-structured religious organization with precise rules including that of not cutting one’s hair
- They lived in a commune and had organized themselves as in a small town, also building an amusement park
- They also formed a competitive baseball team that became very popular
- Now the baseball team no longer exists, but some fractions of their “religious society” still exist
In 1903, Benjamin and Mary Purnell founded the Israelite House of David, a religious society in Benton Harbor, Michigan. However, the “House of David” had many of the characteristics of a well-structured religious cult: a charismatic leader, apocalyptic beliefs, life in common and severe prohibitions on intimate relationships, alcohol and hair cutting. However, women could vote and hold important positions. The community had also devised an amusement park and established a sensational baseball team. With their long hair and beards, House of David players attracted a large following of fans as they toured the country.
Even some famous professional players occasionally wore fake beards and joined the squad for matches, including Grover Cleveland Alexander, Satchel Paige, and even Babe Ruth. The shaggy gamers of this community have also popularized the art of the “pepper game,” a collection of antics similar to the Harlem Globetrotters. Between hilarious games and dexterity in performing them, the members of the House of David enjoyed throwing the balls, making them disappear and then pulling them out by surprise, from their beards, all this to entertain the spectators.
How did life work for the members of the House of David?
The House of David developed, not unlike other religious organizations, a peculiar way of life: its members grew wheat and harvested fruit within the commune. Its inhabitants had organized themselves as in a small town: there were tailors, carpenters and laundries. They also built a small zoo and even a amusement park, which made Benton Harbor a must-visit tourist destination.
The founders encouraged this type of activity because they believed it was beneficial for the mind and body. Members of the commune had started playing baseball at a competitive level in 1914, and within a few years they had organized themselves with daily and rigorous training. Many House of David players began traveling to play in the 1920s but, even though their beards and hair made them unrecognizable, the House of David forbade them to cut them.
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The House of David baseball team continued to be very popular until the 1950s, until the rise of Major League Baseball began to overshadow their fame. While the baseball team is gone, some fractions of their religious society and communes still exist.
