New Salem, New York
Encyclopedia
New Salem is a hamlet in the town of New Scotland
, Albany County
, New York
. It is located in a valley at the foot of the Helderberg Escarpment
along New York State Route 85
. A local fair and car show is held every year in this small hamlet. It is also home to the town of New Scotland's community center and museum.
was established here in 1830 the name New Salem was used.
In 1806 the Beaverdam Road was moved to follow the contour of the mountains and from this time the progress of New Salem began with the building of several houses and a church. In 1850 the Albany, Rensselaerville, and Schoharie Plank Road Company was established by the state to construct a plank road
from Albany through New Salem, to Gallupville in Schoharie County
. The section from New Salem north and east to Albany was graded and planked but the section from New Salem west to Berne was not improved. In 1854 the state authorized the company to abandon or sell portions and to turn other sections into a turnpike
and charge tolls, the section from New Salem east to the hamlet of New Scotland subsequently had its planks removed.
In 1947 DeWitt Carl moved his service station to New Salem from Albany naming the New Salem Garage, and in 1961 he transformed it into an auto dealership dealing exclusively with Saab
s. New Salem Garage Inc., even though no longer in New Salem continues to use the name, and remains the seventh oldest Saab dealership in the United States
and the oldest continually family-owned and operated Saab dealership in the Northeastern US. In the early 1990s the New Salem Garage moved four miles east to a Slingerlands
address and the location in New Salem (with the same owners and still named the New Salem Garage, just as the car dealership) became a lawn and garden center specilizing in Cub Cadet
lawn tractors, mowers, and snowblowers.
The New Salem Schoolhouse, a former one-room rural schoolhouse, was used by the New Salem Historical Society and the New Scotland town senior citizens group when in 1988 the town decided to enlarge and renovate the building in order to make it the town's first community center. In 1997 the New Scotland Historical Society opened a museum of the town's history in the community center's Spaulding Room.
. The hamlet sits in a valley formed by the Helderberg Escarpment
to the west and some hills to the east. The core of the hamlet is situated at the intersection of New Scotland Road (New York State Route 85
) and the western terminus of New York State Route 85A
(New Salem Road).
, since 1946 it has been sponsored by the volunteer fire department to raise money for new equipment. A classic car show is held the weekend prior to the fair.
New Scotland, New York
New Scotland is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 8,648 at the 2010 census.The town is southwest of Albany, New York, the state capital. New Scotland is centrally located in the county.-History:...
, Albany County
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It is located in a valley at the foot of the Helderberg Escarpment
Helderberg Escarpment
The Helderberg Escarpment is an escarpment in eastern New York, roughly west of the city of Albany....
along New York State Route 85
New York State Route 85
New York State Route 85 is a state highway in Albany County, New York, in the United States. It is long and runs from County Route 351 and CR 353 in Rensselaerville to Interstate 90 exit 4 in Albany. It also has a loop route, NY 85A, which connects NY 85 to...
. A local fair and car show is held every year in this small hamlet. It is also home to the town of New Scotland's community center and museum.
History
The area of New Salem was first settled as farmland around 1770 and soon the Beaverdam Road was established through the future hamlet. Legend has it that the original name of the hamlet, Punkintown, was because a sow and her litter were able to live inside a "punkin" (pumpkin) since the pumpkins grown in the area grew so large. When the post officePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was established here in 1830 the name New Salem was used.
In 1806 the Beaverdam Road was moved to follow the contour of the mountains and from this time the progress of New Salem began with the building of several houses and a church. In 1850 the Albany, Rensselaerville, and Schoharie Plank Road Company was established by the state to construct a plank road
Plank road
A plank road or puncheon is a dirt path or road covered with a series of planks, similar to the wooden sidewalks one would see in a Western movie. Plank roads were very popular in Ontario, the U.S. Northeast and U.S. Midwest in the first half of the 19th century...
from Albany through New Salem, to Gallupville in Schoharie County
Schoharie County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,582 people, 11,991 households and 8,177 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 15,915 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
. The section from New Salem north and east to Albany was graded and planked but the section from New Salem west to Berne was not improved. In 1854 the state authorized the company to abandon or sell portions and to turn other sections into a turnpike
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
and charge tolls, the section from New Salem east to the hamlet of New Scotland subsequently had its planks removed.
In 1947 DeWitt Carl moved his service station to New Salem from Albany naming the New Salem Garage, and in 1961 he transformed it into an auto dealership dealing exclusively with Saab
Saab
Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska...
s. New Salem Garage Inc., even though no longer in New Salem continues to use the name, and remains the seventh oldest Saab dealership in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the oldest continually family-owned and operated Saab dealership in the Northeastern US. In the early 1990s the New Salem Garage moved four miles east to a Slingerlands
Slingerlands, New York
Slingerlands is a hamlet in the town of Bethlehem, Albany County, New York. It is located immediately west of Delmar and near the New Scotland town-line and south of the Albany city-limits. It is a suburb of Albany...
address and the location in New Salem (with the same owners and still named the New Salem Garage, just as the car dealership) became a lawn and garden center specilizing in Cub Cadet
Cub Cadet
IH Cub Cadet is a premium line of small tractors, established in 1960 as part of International Harvester. The IH Cub Cadet was an entirely new line of heavy-duty small tractors using components from the previous Cub series tractors...
lawn tractors, mowers, and snowblowers.
The New Salem Schoolhouse, a former one-room rural schoolhouse, was used by the New Salem Historical Society and the New Scotland town senior citizens group when in 1988 the town decided to enlarge and renovate the building in order to make it the town's first community center. In 1997 the New Scotland Historical Society opened a museum of the town's history in the community center's Spaulding Room.
Geography
New Salem is located in the western section of the town of New Scotland, west of the hamlet of that name and southwest of the village of VoorheesvilleVoorheesville, New York
Voorheesville is a village within the town of New Scotland in Albany County, New York, United States. It is a suburb of Albany and part of the city's historic metropolitan area. The population was 2,789 at the 2010 census. The village is named after a railroad attorney, Alonzo B...
. The hamlet sits in a valley formed by the Helderberg Escarpment
Helderberg Escarpment
The Helderberg Escarpment is an escarpment in eastern New York, roughly west of the city of Albany....
to the west and some hills to the east. The core of the hamlet is situated at the intersection of New Scotland Road (New York State Route 85
New York State Route 85
New York State Route 85 is a state highway in Albany County, New York, in the United States. It is long and runs from County Route 351 and CR 353 in Rensselaerville to Interstate 90 exit 4 in Albany. It also has a loop route, NY 85A, which connects NY 85 to...
) and the western terminus of New York State Route 85A
New York State Route 85A
New York State Route 85A is an east–west state highway in Albany County, New York, in the United States. It serves as a , two-lane alternate route of NY 85 through the town of New Scotland, running from the hamlet of New Salem to the hamlet of New Scotland...
(New Salem Road).
Location
Culture
New Salem is home to the Wyman Osterhout Community Center, a former one-room school house. The community center is home to the New Scotland Historical Society (NSHS), the senior citizen center, and the NSHS's town history museum. Since 1942 the town has hosted a Punkintown Fair originally meant to raise money for cigarettes and other goods for soldiers overseas in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, since 1946 it has been sponsored by the volunteer fire department to raise money for new equipment. A classic car show is held the weekend prior to the fair.