On Sunday, June 28, 1873, the church that would one day become Salem Lutheran Church was founded in the log cabin home of Andreas Larson. The new church was named Buffalo River Evangelical Lutheran Congregation but, more commonly, was known as Synod Church. In 1921, Synod Church joined with Hitterdal United Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation, known as United Church, to form Salem Norwegian Lutheran Church. The word Norwegian was later dropped from the name.

The stone building that is the current home of Salem Lutheran Church was completed in 1953 after five years of construction. The stones of the building, as well as the labor for construction, were donated largely by members of the church and community. Rev. A. H. Amundson, the pastor at that time, was a stone cutter and also helped with the construction of the building.