Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded in 1871 with the first church built in 1872. It was replaced by a second church in 1913. Due to damage in the 1915 Great Hurricane and subsequent storms, this church became unsafe and was demolished in the 1940s.

The current church, completed in 1951 is of Romanesque architecture. Remnants of the 1913 church include the marble pulpit, lectern and baptismal font, windows in the baptistery, and the head of Christ carving over the outside entrance doors.

The three bells in the tower are from the first church. The eight circa 1960 windows depicting the life of Christ are hand blown French green glass with an internal layer of amber etched to produce the images.

Since 1871, generations of German-descended Gretna residents worshiped, raised children, were married and had burial services in the church. Several members in the church today are descendants of original members from the 1800s.