West Salem Baptist Church may be said to have had its inception in 1807, when Rev. Thomas Jones, of the Sharon charge, organized a Baptist society in this township. It was connected with Sharon until a separate organization was effected, nearly twenty years afterward. During this period the principal place of worship was a small log building on the site of the Baptist cemetery, where the first burial occurred in 1803. Revs. Joshua Wood, Samuel McMillen, Sidney Rigdon and George McCleery were the consecutive successors of Mr. Jones. This church was regularly organized September 16, 1826, at the house of John Loutzenhiser, Joseph Nelson acting as moderator, and Elders Henry Frazer and Jesse Brown conducting the exercises.

The following members signed the covenant on the day referred to: Richard Morford, Patrick McLaughlin, John Gravat, George Burns, Margaret Loutzenhiser, Margaret Canon, Lucinda Calvin, Elizabeth Burns, Elizabeth McLaughlin, Mary Brown, Sarah Speir, Rebecca Bodwell, Alanah Brown, Jane Watts, Edward Kirby, fifteen in all. Within a few years there were added by letter or baptism, upon profession of faith, Mary Gould, Sarah Carson, Susan Gravat, Mary Gravat, Martha Simpkins  (died August 25, 1829), Eliza WakefieldSarah Runyan, Sarah Stern, George Brockway, Azariah Dunham, John Loutzenhiser, Peaceable Brown, John Morford, Margaret Gravat, Rachel Burns, Sarah Ann Loutzenhiser, William Westby, Jane Westby and others.

The early meetings were held at private houses, viz.: those of John Loutzenhiser, Patrick McLaughlin, Alanah Brown, George Brockway, Richard Morford and others. This continued to be the case until 1840, the time of the erection of the first church edifice. It was a small frame building, unpainted, and is now[1888] used as a wagon shed by Rev. Nimrod Burwell.

The second house, a comfortable frame structure, 41x51, was erected in 1856, on a lot bought from Richard Morford. The cost of the structure was $1,400. In the list of preachers we find the names of Elders Frazer, Churchill, Woodworth, J. H. Hazen, Sanford, Jacob Morris, William Leet, William H. McKinney, J. W. Snyder, D. W. Swigart, Allen Peckham  and T. B. Marlin, the present pastor. The membership has had many experiences to test it, and at present [1888] numbers over seventy.

Source: History of Mercer County, 1888, page 611