Most of the detailed eye-catching structures the followers made were constructed of special cement, which included an ingredient called hematite. Hematite was a spectacular iron that glistened in the sun, making the buildings sparkle like jewels.
Members not only lived communally but are vegetarians. They don’t cut their hair and are celibate.
A look and lifestyle at that time that led outsiders to become very curious.
"They'd walk into the buildings and somebody like me would have run them off. Benjamin opens an ice cream parlor," says Berrien County Historical Association Curator Bob Myers.
Myers says Purnell welcomed the public and their pocketbooks onto colony grounds.
“Benjamin would have been a great corporate CEO,” Myers adds.
Back then, the House of David was the Disneyland of the 20th Century, known around the midwest for its Eden Springs Amusement Park. Thousands of tourists each year, including Chicago Mob Boss Al Capone, visited the colony to enjoy the miniature steam engine train rides, tiny race cars, ice cream in sugar cones made at the colony, the zoo, and the music.
The commune was full of talented musicians, forming numerous bands and two
orchestras who played to packed crowds in their own outdoor amphitheatre.
orchestras who played to packed crowds in their own outdoor amphitheatre.
But it was their major-league caliber, barnstorming baseball teams, known for their “pepper game” antics that took the country by storm and made the colony as much as $10,000 a year.
“Several had offers from the majors. They all turned ‘em down,” says Myers.