Elim - Bethel, Missouri - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

"Elin, located on the brow of a plateau overlooking the North River one-and-a-quarter miles east of Bethel, Missouri, is a central hall symmetrical plan, two-and-a-half story, brick and stone house built In the late 1840's by the members of the "Society of Bethel." The house served as the residence of the society's founder, Dr. William Keil, and as the recreation center for the society's members. Painted pink with dark green trim, it has a full basement, a simple ridge roof, and two porches...

"Elin," located one-and-a-quarter miles east of Bethel, Shelby County, Missouri, is significant as the home of Dr. William Keil, the founder of the "Society of Bethel," the most successful communistic society established in Missouri and one of the most successful in the United States.

William Kell was born March 6, 1811, in Bleicherode, Prussia, where he was reared and trained as a tailor. At the age of twenty-tour he immigrated to the United States, assumed the title of "Doctor" and established himself as a "magical healer" in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While in Pennsylvania, Keil converted to Methodism and became a preacher first in the Methodist Episcopal Church and later in the Methodist Protestant Church. Influenced by the communistic principles of George Rapp's Economy Colony, Keil eventually severed his connections with Methodism to form his own sect. In 1844, he led a band of followers, mainly Rappists who believed as he did in the advantages of communistic living, to found a communal colony in Shelby County, Missouri. The colony, named Bethel, existed from 1844 to 1879 without semblance of a constitutional agreement. It had no peculiar dress, nor singular customs. The sole bond o£ union was the magnetic power and iron will of Keil who served as its founder, administrator, preacher and physician.

The brethren felt Keil to be the wisest of men and erected "Elim" as his residence. The house not only served as Keil's dwelling, but also as the seat of his administrative powers and the herbarium where his medicinal herbs were cured and stored for use in his role as colony physician. The house was also the scene of several annual festivals including Keil's birthday, Easter, Pentecost and the autumn Harvest-feast, On all these occasions, a procession formed in Bethel and, led by the colony band, marched to "Elim" where feasts followed by dances were held in the large, second-story banquet hall." - National Register Nomination

Street address: 1.5 mi. E of Bethel Bethel, Missouri County / Borough / Parish: Shelby Year listed: 1971 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person Periods of significance: 1825-1849, 1850-1874 Historic function: Domestic Current function: Domestic Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.