Salem, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Salem is a town
in New London County
, Connecticut
, United States
. The population was 3,858 at the 2000 census.
s. The very first settlement of Europe
an origin in present-day Salem (then part of the town of Montville
) was deeded in 1664. In the early 18th century, more settlements appeared in what was then Colchester
. During this time period, the area was called “Paugwonk.” The small neighborhood around the Gardner Lake Firehouse on Route 354 is sometimes still referred to by that name.
Because of the remote location of these settlements and the considerable distance to churches, the people petitioned the Connecticut General Court for a new parish in 1725. It was named New Salem Parish, in honor of Colonel Samuel Browne, the largest landowner at the time, who was from Salem
, Massachusetts
. Recent archaeological evidence suggests that Colonel Browne owned slave
s. The people of New Salem strongly supported the Patriot
cause in the Revolution
. Salem was the first town in the state of Connecticut to have a plantation, owned by the Browne family.
in 1819 from lands of Colchester, Lyme
, and Montville, with a population
of approximately 1,200. Though remote during this period, populated almost entirely by farmers, the rocky and craggy land that constituted much of the town kept the population low and new settlement at a minimum. Salem has always been a crossroads town; the old Hartford and New London Turnpike (now Route 85
) was a toll road
, traveled frequently by legislators during the winters of the 19th century when the Connecticut River
was impassable. The Turnpike provided stage coach service until the 1890s.
who retired at the age of 32 after he sold to a major manufacturer the patent rights of an explosive device he had invented to fracture oil well
s. His net worth
at this time was approximately $50,000,000 (million), an enormous sum for the time period. He decided to settle in the remote woods of Salem and build a farm, purchasing 2800 acres (11.3 km²) of land between 1917 and 1924, completely surrounding Mountain Lake and Fairy Lake. This land, once called Paugwonk, had been jointly owned by a Niantic Sachem named Sanhop, a Mohegan named Chappattoe and another kinsman from Uncas. The combined area became known as Fairy Lake Farm, located near the lake of the same name. Carr Pond, which today supplies water to the city of New London, was actually created by Rawolle in 1920 from Fairy Lake as a means of docking his boat near the turnpike.
Rawolle decided to generate his own electricity when he learned that bringing transmission lines to his farm from the city of New London, about 12 miles (19.3 km) away, would be virtually impossible. At a cost of about one million dollars, extremely expensive at the time for a single project, a hydroelectric system
was completed in 1922. Airplanes flying from New York to Boston
used the glimmering lights of Fairy Lake Farm as guidance. Rawolle also opened a store in New London to sell produce from the farm. This endeavor collapsed, however, when the stock market crashed in 1929
and Rawolle lost all of his money. He died in 1954; the large stone mansion
he lived in at the farm is still standing today at the end of Horse Pond Road, though it is abandoned.
, from Salem, was an adventurer, U.S. Senator, and explorer who rediscovered Machu Picchu in Peru in 1911. He retrieved artifacts for Yale University, which, in 2011, returned many items to Cusco, Peru pursuant to an agreement with the Peruvian government. His son, Hiram Bingham IV
, was the Vice Consul in Marseilles, France, during World War II
, and rescued thousands of Jews
from death at the Nazi concentration camps
. Much of the Bingham family still lives in Salem and is active in town politics and local issues. Hiram IV died in 1988, and a U.S. Postal Stamp
was issued in his honor on May 30, 2006. See the Simon Wiesenthal Center's film Tribute to Hiram ("Harry") Bingham IV on YouTube.
Here's the YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6MfzibYZFU .
The film shows the Nazis on the march in Europe and how U.S. Vice-Consul Harry Bingham rose to the dangerous occasion to save lives. The Wall Street Journal wrote: "More than 450 supporters of the Simon Wiesenthal Center gathered for the 2011 Humanitarian Award Dinner. The Medal of Valor was awarded posthumously to Sir Winston Churchill, Hiram Bingham IV, and Pope John Paul II...." Wall Street Journal (March 30, 2011)
in the state. However, it is still a small town by Connecticut standards. It did not even have its own ZIP code
until the mid-1990s; before then, it was shared with Colchester. The post office today remains in a small general store, somewhat unusual for a town that has grown to this size.
During its early years, Salem had several schoolhouse
s scattered throughout town like most New England
communities of the time; one is still visible on White Birch Road. Salem School was built in 1940 near the town green
as little more than a large schoolhouse. Several additions have been built since then, the most recent opening in 1994. Today, Salem School is one of the largest K-8 schools in the state, with about 600 students. Students in grades 9 through 12 attend high school in the neighboring town of East Lyme; this will be the case until at least 2016, when the current co-op agreement between the two towns expires.
Route 85
was commissioned from the old turnpike in 1932. Traffic increased considerably over the next several decades, and the Route 11
expressway was proposed as an alternate through route. Lack of funding and bureaucratic issues caused construction to halt in 1972 in Salem at Route 82. The project was revived in the mid-1990s, and in August 2004, Route 11 was announced as a federal high priority project under President Bush
’s Executive Order 13274, during a surprise visit by U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta
to Salem. The new highway was to be accompanied by a “greenway”
of preserved land, a first in the nation.
However, the State of Connecticut halted work on the project in 2009, citing funding issues. Most Salem residents favor completion because it would remove through traffic from local roads. Though effectively canceled, the highway project remains a frequently discussed political issue in the town.
Salem has very little commercial and industrial development, which has not kept pace with the rapid residential growth; the “four corners” area, at the busy junction of Route 85 and Route 82, is virtually all that exists. As a result, taxes in the town are generally high.
The last operating dairy farm in Salem, near Gardner Lake, which was an official supplier of Cabot
cheese, closed in 2004.
In 2006 Salem Boy Scout Troop 123 was one of the largest in the state of Connecticut. In 2006 this troop sent more scouts to summer camp than any other Connecticut troop. Most years more than 50 percent of second grade boys are enrolled in the Salem Cub Scouts.
Memorial Day Parade.
Salem 5K Road Race.
Salem Apple Festival.
s, Salem’s town green was originally centered around a church. The current church, Salem Congregational Church, was built in 1840. The Music Vale Seminary was about a half mile south of the green itself. The town hall, library, recreational fields, and Salem School are all located nearby. A grange and historical society are built around the green.
The green has changed little over the past two hundred years, the most changes being in the last two decades. Salem School has undergone many additions since its original construction in 1940. The townspeople in 2003 voted overwhelmingly in a referendum to build a brand new library, which opened in 2004. The new structure replaced the original library, a tiny structure donated by the Bingham family in 1928, which is now vacant. Also in 2004, construction began on expanded recreational fields.
, the town has a total area of 29.8 square miles (77.2 km²), of which, 29.0 square miles (75.0 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (2.79%) is water.
of 2000, there were 3,858 people, 1,358 households, and 1,075 families residing in the town. The population density
was 133.2 people per square mile (51.5/km²). There were 1,655 housing units at an average density of 57.2 per square mile (22.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.49% White, 0.83% African American, 0.60% Native American, 1.48% Asian, 0.29% from other races
, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.22% of the population.
There were 1,358 households out of which 43.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.9% were married couples
living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.8% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.4% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $68,750, and the median income for a family was $75,747. Males had a median income of $48,173 versus $36,364 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $27,288. About 0.6% of families and 1.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.
Residents in grades 9 through 12 are zoned to East Lyme High School
in East Lyme
, which is a part of East Lyme Public Schools
.
There is a Witch Meadow Lake and Witch Meadow Campground in Salem, perhaps a tongue-in-cheek homage to the infamous witch trials
of Salem, Massachusetts. Also on Witch Meadow Road there is a cemetery.
Captain Kidd was believed to have buried treasure in the woods of Salem.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in New London County
New London County, Connecticut
New London County is a county located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of 2010 the population was 274,055. The total area of the county is , including inland and coastal waters....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 3,858 at the 2000 census.
Pre-incorporation
The area was originally inhabited by MoheganMohegan
The Mohegan tribe is an Algonquian-speaking tribe that lives in the eastern upper Thames River valley of Connecticut. Mohegan translates to "People of the Wolf". At the time of European contact, the Mohegan and Pequot were one people, historically living in the lower Connecticut region...
s. The very first settlement of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an origin in present-day Salem (then part of the town of Montville
Montville, Connecticut
Montville is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 18,546 at the 2000 census and 19,571 at the 2010 census....
) was deeded in 1664. In the early 18th century, more settlements appeared in what was then Colchester
Colchester, Connecticut
Colchester is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 14,551 at the 2000 census. In 2005 it was ranked 57th on the "100 Best Places to Live" in all of the United States, conducted by CNN...
. During this time period, the area was called “Paugwonk.” The small neighborhood around the Gardner Lake Firehouse on Route 354 is sometimes still referred to by that name.
Because of the remote location of these settlements and the considerable distance to churches, the people petitioned the Connecticut General Court for a new parish in 1725. It was named New Salem Parish, in honor of Colonel Samuel Browne, the largest landowner at the time, who was from Salem
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Recent archaeological evidence suggests that Colonel Browne owned slave
Slavery in Colonial America
The origins of slavery in the colonial United States are complex and there are several theories that have been proposed to explain the trade.In 1607, English settlers established Jamestown as the first permanent English colony in the New World. Tobacco became the chief crop of the colony, due to...
s. The people of New Salem strongly supported the Patriot
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
cause in the Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Salem was the first town in the state of Connecticut to have a plantation, owned by the Browne family.
1819 to the present
Salem was incorporated as a TownNew England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in 1819 from lands of Colchester, Lyme
Lyme, Connecticut
Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,016 at the 2000 census. Lyme and its neighboring town Old Lyme are the namesake for Lyme disease.-Geography:...
, and Montville, with a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of approximately 1,200. Though remote during this period, populated almost entirely by farmers, the rocky and craggy land that constituted much of the town kept the population low and new settlement at a minimum. Salem has always been a crossroads town; the old Hartford and New London Turnpike (now Route 85
Route 85 (Connecticut)
Route 85 a north–south state highway in the east-central portion of the U.S. state of Connecticut linking the city of New London to the town of Bolton.-Route description:...
) was a toll road
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...
, traveled frequently by legislators during the winters of the 19th century when the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
was impassable. The Turnpike provided stage coach service until the 1890s.
Music Vale Seminary
Salem became a well-known location upon the founding of Oramel Whittlesey’s Music Vale Seminary in 1835. Students of the school not only learned music, but also provided self-sustenance through farming, as did most Salem households at the time. Pianos were manufactured up the Hartford and New London Turnpike about two miles (3 km) north from the Seminary, at the present location of the firehouse and Maple Shade General Store. The Seminary burned down and was rebuilt. However, when Whittlesey died in 1867, it was the beginning of the end for the school; when it burned down again shortly thereafter, it was never rebuilt. Today, all that remains of the Seminary is a barn and state historical marker.Early rural electrification in the United States
Salem is the site of one of the very first rural electrifications in the country, at the farm of Frederick C. Rawolle, Jr. Rawolle was an engineer from New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
who retired at the age of 32 after he sold to a major manufacturer the patent rights of an explosive device he had invented to fracture oil well
Oil well
An oil well is a general term for any boring through the earth's surface that is designed to find and acquire petroleum oil hydrocarbons. Usually some natural gas is produced along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce mainly or only gas may be termed a gas well.-History:The earliest...
s. His net worth
Net worth
In business, net worth is the total assets minus total outside liabilities of an individual or a company. For a company, this is called shareholders' preference and may be referred to as book value. Net worth is stated as at a particular year in time...
at this time was approximately $50,000,000 (million), an enormous sum for the time period. He decided to settle in the remote woods of Salem and build a farm, purchasing 2800 acres (11.3 km²) of land between 1917 and 1924, completely surrounding Mountain Lake and Fairy Lake. This land, once called Paugwonk, had been jointly owned by a Niantic Sachem named Sanhop, a Mohegan named Chappattoe and another kinsman from Uncas. The combined area became known as Fairy Lake Farm, located near the lake of the same name. Carr Pond, which today supplies water to the city of New London, was actually created by Rawolle in 1920 from Fairy Lake as a means of docking his boat near the turnpike.
Rawolle decided to generate his own electricity when he learned that bringing transmission lines to his farm from the city of New London, about 12 miles (19.3 km) away, would be virtually impossible. At a cost of about one million dollars, extremely expensive at the time for a single project, a hydroelectric system
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
was completed in 1922. Airplanes flying from New York to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
used the glimmering lights of Fairy Lake Farm as guidance. Rawolle also opened a store in New London to sell produce from the farm. This endeavor collapsed, however, when the stock market crashed in 1929
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
and Rawolle lost all of his money. He died in 1954; the large stone mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
he lived in at the farm is still standing today at the end of Horse Pond Road, though it is abandoned.
Hiram Bingham III and IV
Hiram Bingham IIIHiram Bingham III
Hiram Bingham, formally Hiram Bingham III, was an academic, explorer, treasure hunter and politician from the United States. He made public the existence of the Quechua citadel of Machu Picchu in 1911 with the guidance of local indigenous farmers...
, from Salem, was an adventurer, U.S. Senator, and explorer who rediscovered Machu Picchu in Peru in 1911. He retrieved artifacts for Yale University, which, in 2011, returned many items to Cusco, Peru pursuant to an agreement with the Peruvian government. His son, Hiram Bingham IV
Hiram Bingham IV
Hiram "Harry" Bingham IV was an American diplomat. He served as a Vice-Consul in Marseille, France, during World War II, and helped over 2,500 Jews to flee from France as Nazi forces advanced.-Early life:...
, was the Vice Consul in Marseilles, France, during World War II
World 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...
, and rescued thousands of Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
from death at the Nazi concentration camps
Nazi concentration camps
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
. Much of the Bingham family still lives in Salem and is active in town politics and local issues. Hiram IV died in 1988, and a U.S. Postal Stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
was issued in his honor on May 30, 2006. See the Simon Wiesenthal Center's film Tribute to Hiram ("Harry") Bingham IV on YouTube.
Here's the YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6MfzibYZFU .
The film shows the Nazis on the march in Europe and how U.S. Vice-Consul Harry Bingham rose to the dangerous occasion to save lives. The Wall Street Journal wrote: "More than 450 supporters of the Simon Wiesenthal Center gathered for the 2011 Humanitarian Award Dinner. The Medal of Valor was awarded posthumously to Sir Winston Churchill, Hiram Bingham IV, and Pope John Paul II...." Wall Street Journal (March 30, 2011)
Salem today
Over the decades, Salem has slowly progressed from a small and remote farming town to a bedroom community of about 4,000; in the 1990s, it was one of the fastest growing municipalitiesMunicipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the state. However, it is still a small town by Connecticut standards. It did not even have its own ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
until the mid-1990s; before then, it was shared with Colchester. The post office today remains in a small general store, somewhat unusual for a town that has grown to this size.
During its early years, Salem had several schoolhouse
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s scattered throughout town like most New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
communities of the time; one is still visible on White Birch Road. Salem School was built in 1940 near the town green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
as little more than a large schoolhouse. Several additions have been built since then, the most recent opening in 1994. Today, Salem School is one of the largest K-8 schools in the state, with about 600 students. Students in grades 9 through 12 attend high school in the neighboring town of East Lyme; this will be the case until at least 2016, when the current co-op agreement between the two towns expires.
Route 85
Route 85 (Connecticut)
Route 85 a north–south state highway in the east-central portion of the U.S. state of Connecticut linking the city of New London to the town of Bolton.-Route description:...
was commissioned from the old turnpike in 1932. Traffic increased considerably over the next several decades, and the Route 11
Route 11 (Connecticut)
Route 11 is a state highway in east-central Connecticut, serving traffic between the Hartford and New London areas . It was originally planned to be a freeway from Colchester to Waterford. However, only about half of the freeway was constructed and it ends in Salem...
expressway was proposed as an alternate through route. Lack of funding and bureaucratic issues caused construction to halt in 1972 in Salem at Route 82. The project was revived in the mid-1990s, and in August 2004, Route 11 was announced as a federal high priority project under President Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
’s Executive Order 13274, during a surprise visit by U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta
Norman Mineta
Norman Yoshio Mineta, is a United States politician of the Democratic Party. Mineta most recently served in President George W. Bush's Cabinet as the United States Secretary of Transportation, the only Democratic Cabinet Secretary in the Bush administration...
to Salem. The new highway was to be accompanied by a “greenway”
Greenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
of preserved land, a first in the nation.
However, the State of Connecticut halted work on the project in 2009, citing funding issues. Most Salem residents favor completion because it would remove through traffic from local roads. Though effectively canceled, the highway project remains a frequently discussed political issue in the town.
Salem has very little commercial and industrial development, which has not kept pace with the rapid residential growth; the “four corners” area, at the busy junction of Route 85 and Route 82, is virtually all that exists. As a result, taxes in the town are generally high.
The last operating dairy farm in Salem, near Gardner Lake, which was an official supplier of Cabot
Cabot Creamery
The Cabot Creamery Cooperative is an American dairy agricultural marketing cooperative, wholly owned by the Agri-Mark Cooperative.Originally started as Cabot Farmers Cooperative Creamery in 1919 by farmers in Cabot, Vermont, it was taken over by the Agri-Mark Cooperative in 1992...
cheese, closed in 2004.
In 2006 Salem Boy Scout Troop 123 was one of the largest in the state of Connecticut. In 2006 this troop sent more scouts to summer camp than any other Connecticut troop. Most years more than 50 percent of second grade boys are enrolled in the Salem Cub Scouts.
Salem Traditions
Salem is host to several long standing traditions. Some annual traditions include:Memorial Day Parade.
Salem 5K Road Race.
Salem Apple Festival.
On the National Register of Historic Places
- Abel H. Fish HouseAbel H. Fish HouseThe Abel H. Fish House is located in Salem, Connecticut. The house was built in 1835 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 2, 1982.-References:...
— Buckley Hill and Rathbun Hill Roads (added 1982) - Salem Historic District — state Route 85 (added 1980)
- Ebenezer Tiffany House — 460 Darling Road (added 1983)
- Woodbridge Farm — 29, 30, and 90 Woodbridge Road (added 1997)
The Salem town green
Like many New England townNew England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
s, Salem’s town green was originally centered around a church. The current church, Salem Congregational Church, was built in 1840. The Music Vale Seminary was about a half mile south of the green itself. The town hall, library, recreational fields, and Salem School are all located nearby. A grange and historical society are built around the green.
The green has changed little over the past two hundred years, the most changes being in the last two decades. Salem School has undergone many additions since its original construction in 1940. The townspeople in 2003 voted overwhelmingly in a referendum to build a brand new library, which opened in 2004. The new structure replaced the original library, a tiny structure donated by the Bingham family in 1928, which is now vacant. Also in 2004, construction began on expanded recreational fields.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 29.8 square miles (77.2 km²), of which, 29.0 square miles (75.0 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (2.79%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,858 people, 1,358 households, and 1,075 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 133.2 people per square mile (51.5/km²). There were 1,655 housing units at an average density of 57.2 per square mile (22.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.49% White, 0.83% African American, 0.60% Native American, 1.48% Asian, 0.29% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.22% of the population.
There were 1,358 households out of which 43.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.8% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.4% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $68,750, and the median income for a family was $75,747. Males had a median income of $48,173 versus $36,364 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $27,288. About 0.6% of families and 1.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The Salem School District http://salem.schoolwires.com/salem/site/default.asp operates a Pre-K-8 school that serves Salem.Residents in grades 9 through 12 are zoned to East Lyme High School
East Lyme High School
East Lyme High School is a high school located in the Flanders region of East Lyme, Connecticut. The school is operated by the East Lyme Schools district. The mascot is Sven the Viking...
in East Lyme
East Lyme, Connecticut
East Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 18,118 at the 2000 census. The latitude of East Lyme is 41.353N...
, which is a part of East Lyme Public Schools
East Lyme Public Schools
East Lyme Public Schools is a school district in East Lyme, Connecticut.The district has one high school, one middle school, and three elementary schools...
.
Miscellaneous
Every year at the end of October, the Salem Apple Festival is held on the town green. It features everything from apple pies, to apple fritters, to hot dogs with apple sauerkraut. The event draws visitors from all over the state. In addition to this, the Salem Public Library takes all the donated books it has received over the year and has a book sale at Salem School.There is a Witch Meadow Lake and Witch Meadow Campground in Salem, perhaps a tongue-in-cheek homage to the infamous witch trials
Salem witch trials
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693...
of Salem, Massachusetts. Also on Witch Meadow Road there is a cemetery.
Captain Kidd was believed to have buried treasure in the woods of Salem.
Notable persons from Salem, Connecticut
- Hiram Bingham IIIHiram Bingham IIIHiram Bingham, formally Hiram Bingham III, was an academic, explorer, treasure hunter and politician from the United States. He made public the existence of the Quechua citadel of Machu Picchu in 1911 with the guidance of local indigenous farmers...
, 1875–1956, adventurer; discovered Machu PicchuMachu PicchuMachu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for...
. Lengthy resident. - Hiram Bingham IVHiram Bingham IVHiram "Harry" Bingham IV was an American diplomat. He served as a Vice-Consul in Marseille, France, during World War II, and helped over 2,500 Jews to flee from France as Nazi forces advanced.-Early life:...
, 1903–1988, American Vice Consul in Marseilles, France, during World War II; rescued thousands of Jews from the Nazis during the HolocaustThe HolocaustThe Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
. Hometown and lengthy resident. YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6MfzibYZFU - Samuel M. HopkinsSamuel M. HopkinsSamuel Miles Hopkins was a United States Representative from New York. Born in Salem, Connecticut, he graduated from Yale College in 1791, studied law, was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Le Roy, Genesee County, New York in 1793...
, 1772–1837, lawyer and United States Representative for New York was born in Salem. - Rachel RobinsonRachel RobinsonRachel Robinson is a former nurse and the widow of baseball player Jackie Robinson. She was born in Los Angeles, and attended the University of California, Los Angeles. There, she met Jackie in 1941, and they married in 1946. A baby, Jackie Robinson, Jr., was born to her in November 1946...
, b. 1922, widow of baseball great Jackie RobinsonJackie RobinsonJack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
and civil rights activist. Lengthy resident. - Oramel Whittlesey, 1802–1867, founded Music Vale Seminary, the first accredited music school in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Hometown and lengthy resident.