."The Colored House of David" by Martin Quigley, 1981.....was a fictional story, about a little boy by the name of Timothy Nelson, who watched the bearded black wizards of baseball who called themselves the "Original Colored House of David" come to his hometown and play like no other team had ever played before. The story is about how he becomes the only white player on this all black House of David Team, and about their lives together as they travel around the country.

"King of Harem Heaven", by Anthony Sterling, 1960.......The MOST collectible and highly sought after of all House of David related media, the novel was published by Monarch Books and distributed throughout S.W. Michigan bookstores in early 1960. Within weeks it had sold over 4000 copies, but soon after had to be pulled from the shelves as the House of David Colony had a court injunction against Monarch Books for slandering their name. The book was very detailed and full of personal interviews from certain female members of the colony, and packed with accusations of wrongdoings by Benjamin Purnell. There seem to have been many true statements in the book about different historical facts, but there were also many more inaccuracies scattered throughout, and in general, put the House of David in a very bad light. The books were immediately pulled from every bookstore shelf after the court ruling, and taken from the warehouses of the publisher, boxed up, and sent to the House of David where they were burned. Immediately after, members of the colony were sent out scouring the area to try to buy back copies that had made it into the public, and those too were burned at the colony as well. The House of David immediately bought all future rights to "King of Harem Heaven", to assure it would never be published again. Thus, very few of these books remain in existence. Thru this author's past 10 years experience as museum curator, there must have been over 1000 guests that have told of owning that novel when it was new, having loaned it to someone to read after they had read it, and never having received it back. Common sense tells us the persons who borrowed the books must have been the ones who ended up selling them back to the House of David! This novel was written by an author who never wanted his name to be known, more than likely because of the great possibilty of a large lawsuit, and thus used a fake name for the book. To this day, no one really is positive about its author, although here at the museum we are quite sure who that person would have been.

"Showcase Southwest Michigan", October 1990......The article was called "A Look Back at the House of David and its World Famous Dance Band", and was written by Dan Holt. This was a monthly magazine featuring different highlights of S.W. Michigan, and who regularly featured the House of David. This particular issue featured a short story about one child's memory of what it was like to go the House of David Amusement Park, with all of its wonderful sounds and smells.

......"The Righteous Remnant, The House of David", by Robert S. Fogarty, 1981.....This was a very indepth book, written about the House of David story as it related to the media. Fogarty received grant money to do major research about the House of David, and he was aided by many different scholars and students in his effort to compile what would be the only full story at the time available about the House of David. Fogarty did a nice job of researching what was available at the time, but he failed to actually go to the House of David and find out what the reality of life at the House of David was really like. Thus, he counted too heavily on media accounts, which we know today were very misleading. Fogarty has a wealth of information in his book, and given the time frame that he worked with, he did a great job with the resources at hand.
 

"The House of David Blues", by Elmer Schoebel, Billy Meyers, & Irving Mills, 1923.....This wonderfully drawn image of the House of David Syncopep Syranaders went on to become one of the most famous of its time. The House of David Blues had just been published and made available by many different artists of that time, and this piece of sheet music was what most used across the country to make sure they had the notes and words right when playing this tune. At the time, the NY Times called the House of David Band one of the top 2 acts in the country. The words to the song went like this: "A little story that I want to tell, about a certain band taht you know well. An aggregation down in Michigan with a leader man by the name of Ben. They started jazzin back in ninety two and entertained the folks with music blue. No one has ideas like this leader has, thats why they call it the 'Harbor Jazz'.....(Chorus) Gee! but ain't it grand to hear that band play the House of David Blues. All the folks in town gather round to see the funny things they do. When they start to play the women rave and then they start to yell...At ta boy Dave! Oh the House of David Band is in demand, when they play the House of David Blues! Now the jazz they play is mighty wierd, tho they look like Santa Claus with a beard! A funny thing bout the House of Dave, they play the Barbershop Chord but they never shave!......". The "House of David Blues" is still a very popular tune with Jazz Musicians around the country!

"Baseball's Bearded Boys", by Don Gitersonke, 1996.........This was the very first comprehensive study of the House of David Baseball Team. Don Gitersonke, an avid Baseball Historian, took many years compiling a wonderful and complete collection of House of David Baseball Memorabilia, and learned the fascinating story of these "Jesus Boys" along the way. Don was originally from the Benton Harbor area, which is the home of the House of David, and fell in love with the House of David Baseball story as a child. Through his extensive research, when many of the original players still survived, Gitersonke accomplished what no one else would ever be able to do after him, which was to interview and record many conversations, etc. of those surviving members. He spent much of his time interviewing the man baseball called "The Bearded Babe Ruth", Tom Dewhirst, whose love of the game was second to none. Dewhirst, though up in age, had an unbelievable memory about those traveling days with the team, and shared that with Don Gitersonke as he spread his excitement throughout the room. Gitersonke was able to acquire many highly sought after pieces of the House of David Baseball history, and has allowed the House of David Museum to be the new proud owner of all of his collection which is featured in his book. From baseball uniforms to posters, score sheets, photographs, taped interviews, diaries, and broadsides, this extensive collection was some of the first major strides the House of David made back in 1997, making what was to become the most complete history of the House of David anywhere in the world. Even Pete Rose was photographed promoting "The Bearded Boys of Baseball", and the signed book is still available today at the House of David Museum.

"The House of David Baseball Team", by Joel Hawkins and Terry Bertolino, 2000.....This is the most extensive book to date about House of David Baseball, and is very well done. Terry and Joel spent quite some time interviewing, researching, and documenting the history of the various House of David teams. The book features a vast array of photographs that before its publication were not made available to the public. The authors did a nice job of separating which teams were the "Original House of David" teams, which were from Mary's City of David, and which ones are called "Imposter Teams", which were fake House of David Teams, traveling the country with beards and calling themselves "House of David", although they had no ties to the original colony. Eventually the House of David had to go to court to stop the misuse of their name, and the courts ruled that baseball teams could grow beards and travel in the baseball leagues, but this didn't' give them the right to use the "House of David' name. There were many teams during the 1930's that were actually given permission to use the name, but eventually even these teams were asked to cease that use. The authors touch on some of these stories, and have done a wonderful job of telling as accurate of a picture as possible about life with the House of David Baseball Team. Copies of this book are available at the House of David Museum.

"Brother Benjamin, A History of the Israelite House of David", by Clare E. Adkin, 1990.......This book inspired most of us here in S.W. Michigan to look much further into the story of the House of David. Clare Adkin, who taught history locally in the area, had a keen knowledge of the story through years of research and actually sharing life with some of the members who had existed during the times of his studies. "Brother Benjamin" is very well written, and takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the secret lives of the true House of David colony members. Clare shares with his readers the facts and beliefs of this famous religious colony, and takes into account many stories from actaul living members that had never been told to the public, as he conducted more than 200 interviews, and researched many different media accounts, as well as court records that are still available for the interested student. For anyone with any knowledge of the House of David, or anyone with any type of interest in learning more about this wonderful piece of S.W. Michigan history, "Brother Benjamin" is a Must Read! There are still copies available at the House of David Museum, though they are in short supply.

......."True Confessions Magazine", August, 1923......This is another sensationalized story about the colony, and more specifically about Benjamin Purnell himself. The article is titled "The House of David Expose'", and is too risque for us to add the story here. But this is only one of many medias that took an ususual piece of life in America and turned it into a fascinating, raunchy, and SENSATIONAL! It reminds me of a statement that Tom Dewhirst told of a time when the Detroit Free Press came to the House of David for a story about the colony. Mr. Dewhirst told the reporter how unhappy he was with all of the previous writers from that newspaper because of the fact that they never wrote true and accurate stories. This new writer assured Mr. Dewhirst that his story would be as accurate and truthful as the colony had requested, and that before the newspaper published the article, they would allow the House of David to preview the story. A week went by and there was no word from the writer. Mr. Dewhirst went to the newsstand and found the Detroit Free Press, and right on the front page was the story. Unfortunately the writer strayed away from most of what Mr. Dewhirst had told of, and made up his own sensational account of what he heard. After trying to cool down for much of the morning, Mr. Dewhirst phoned the reporter to give him an ear full. After venting his frustration with this reporters version of the truth, he asked the reporter if he had anything to say. The reporter only responded........"But Sir, thats what sells"! You can now understand the reluctance of the House of David to allow most anyone on the grounds for an interview, photos, or any other reason for purposes of the media. Very few writers have ever done the right thing when its comes to creating an article, and now very few are allowed an interview of any sort.

...."Mary's City of David, A Pictorial History of the Israelite House of David as Reorganized by Mary Purnell", by R. James Taylor, 1996.........In this book, the author does an amazing job of telling about a place that was basically an unknown up to this point, and that was a story about the "City of David", the group of original House of David members that had left the original colony after a long disagreement over leadership, and walked together down the street and started their own "Israelite House of David" but as "Reorganized by Mary Purnell", Benjamin's wife. The book is a great pictorial history of this second colony of people who had given up their lives to spend their days as part of this newly found communal society, and who after Brother Benjamin's death, felt that Mary should be their new spiritual leader. But many of the others at the House of David Colony felt that Judge Harry Dewhirst should be the person in charge of their future, and so a huge arguement began, and even with the courts intervention, could not get the members to agree. So in roughly 1929 Mary Purnell and a large group of her believers got together and decided to leave the place that they had called home and start their own version of the House of David under Mary Purnell's leadership. This book is very well written, and takes its readers into many areas that would never be known if it weren't for the author sharing his information with the public. Mr. Taylor was raised at the colony, and is very well respected and admired in the community. He and his members have done a fantastic job of preservation at the City of David, and have slowly taken buildings on the verge of destruction to amazingly beautiful condition. His efforts are endless, and his life has been devoted to saving this wonderful story. Mr. Taylor has a very extensive museum that he operates at the City of David, and a wonderful website presence at the following address: www.maryscityofdavid.org The House of David Museum is sold out of his book, but others are still available at the City of David Museum, as well as in local bookstores.

Buescher Instruments Broadside, ca. 1940....This was a musical instrument factory located in Elkhart, Indiana, who loved the House of David Syncopep Musicians, and who used the House of David Entertainers to advertise their various instruments, and in return, would supply the various House of David Orchestras, Bands, and Jazz Musicians with their Buescher Instruments free of charge, along with advertise the House of David Park along with their own products.

"Millennial Visions and Earthly Pursuits: The Israelite House of David", by Robert C. Myers, 1999.....This was booklet that was made available through the Berrien County Historical Association, and made to coincide with an exhibit that featured pieces of memorabilia from the House of David that were displayed at the Orchards Mall in the summer and fall of 1999. There was to be a movie for PBS that was to air during that very time frame, but it never materialized. Few copies remain available at the House of David Museum.