The Gothic Revival-style New Salem Baptist Church in Tams, Raleigh County, first opened its doors in 1921, following a request from local African Americans to coal company town owner W. P. Tams. In 1928, the congregation repaid Tams and received clear title to the property, located in the northern segregated part of town. Church membership peaked at 350 in the 1930s before beginning a precipitous decline. In 1955, Tams retired and sold his mine, and the town’s population quickly dwindled.

When the last residents left Tams in the 1980s, New Salem Baptist Church was one of the few remaining buildings. Despite the virtual absence of population, about 10 members continue to worship at the church today. Throughout its history, the church has been an important place of worship and social gatherings for the African American community.

In the 2000s, various groups have tried to preserve the structure. In 2012, on Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day, the Appalachian Coal Country Team and Rural Appalachian Improvement League made various improvements. In 2016, the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV) added New Salem to its “West Virginia Endangered Properties” list. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2023. At that time, the building looked almost precisely as it did in 1921 except for new front steps, a rear handicapped ramp, a suspended ceiling in the sanctuary, and restrooms in the basement. 

Supported by a $16,200 contribution from the Raleigh County Commission, the congregation is working to completely restore the church. It is the only structure remaining in the historical Black section of Tams, now one of many ghost towns in the southern coalfields.