Salem, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Salem is an independent city
in Virginia
, USA
, bordered by the city of Roanoke
to the east but otherwise adjacent to Roanoke County
. It is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 24,802 according to 2010 U.S. Census. While Salem is politically separate from Roanoke County, the Roanoke County courthouse is located there ; historically, Salem was the county seat
of Roanoke County, however the executive government offices for the County are now located in an unincorporated section of the County. Salem and Roanoke County still share jail facilities but are otherwise politically separate. Residents of Salem do not pay taxes to Roanoke County. The Bureau of Economic Analysis
combines the city of Salem with Roanoke County for statistical purposes.
Roanoke College
is located in the city. The NCAA Division III National Football Championship
, also known as the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, as well as the Division III Men's Basketball Championship
, are played there annually. Salem is also the home to a minor league baseball
team, the Salem Red Sox, formerly the Salem Avalanche.
people had a village nearby. Explorers Thomas Batts and Robert Fallam gave the area its first recorded name: Totero Town, after this tribe, who supplied them with a guide to help with further exploration. Fort Lewis, named for General Andrew Lewis
, of what is now Roanoke County, was built west of the town in 1752. Salem's Andrew Lewis Middle School was named after General Lewis. Salem became a small settlement serving travelers on the Great Wilderness Road (roughly the same path followed by US-11 and later Interstate 81
today) and was officially founded in 1802, receiving its charter in 1806. It is not known why the town was named Salem; the most widely accepted explanation is that it was named to honor William Bryan, a prominent citizen, who had moved from Salem, New Jersey
. Salem was attacked twice by the Union Army
during the American Civil War
, but its Salem Flying Artillery is said to have fired the last Confederate shot at Appomattox Court House
prior to Robert E. Lee
's surrender. One of the city’s four elementary schools is named African American scientist G.W. Carver
. Before integration, this was the high school for African Americans in Salem.
Salem annexed South Salem in 1953 and also an eastern tract in 1960, giving it a population of 16,058 - making it Virginia's largest town at the time. Salem officially became a city on December 31, 1967, to avoid the possibility of annexation into the city of Roanoke.
Salem has been the home of two colleges. In 1847, the Virginia Institute, a boy's preparatory school, moved to Salem from Staunton
. It received a college charter in 1853 and was renamed Roanoke College
for the Roanoke Valley
. The college is located in central Salem, one block north of Main Street. Roanoke Women's College, later named Elizabeth College
, operated between 1912 and 1922. The college burned in late 1921 and did not reopen. Like Roanoke College, it was affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
. The Elizabeth College campus is now the site of residence halls and athletic fields that belong to Roanoke College.
Salem has a large interest in athletics. It is home to the Salem Red Sox, a Class High-A affiliate to the Boston Red Sox
. The Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the NCAA Division III Football Championship game
is held at Salem Football Stadium
. Salem's success in holding that event led the NCAA to also move the NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Championship
and the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship to the Salem Civic Center
and the Women's NCAA Division III Softball Championship to Moyer Field. In August 2007, the Salem Football Stadium also hosted the Southwestern Virginia Educational Classic. This game is played annually in the Roanoke Valley and consists of two football teams from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The city hosts several other statewide, regional, and national sporting events at its facilities. These events are attracted by the city's hospitality, modern facilities and overall support. Salem High School
, is also known for its athletic programs, particularly the football team which has won six state championships since 1996, and also the forensics team, which has won six consecutive state championships.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 14.6 square miles (37.8 km²).
of 2000, there were 24,747 Salemites, 9,954 households, and 6,539 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,696.4 people per square mile (654.9/km²). There were 10,403 housing units at an average density of 713.1 per square mile (275.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.88% White, 5.88% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.97% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races
, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.
There were 9,954 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples
living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.84.
The age distribution is 20.9% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,997, and the median income for a family was $47,174. Males had a median income of $32,472 versus $23,193 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $20,091. About 4.3% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
Salem is also a filming spot for Valley Vision TV's show Insanity World TV, and many other film productions by film director Logan Hinson.
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, bordered by the city of Roanoke
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
to the east but otherwise adjacent to Roanoke County
Roanoke County, Virginia
Roanoke County is a county located in the U.S. state of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area and located within the Roanoke Region of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 85,778. As of 2010, the population was 92,376...
. It is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 24,802 according to 2010 U.S. Census. While Salem is politically separate from Roanoke County, the Roanoke County courthouse is located there ; historically, Salem was the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Roanoke County, however the executive government offices for the County are now located in an unincorporated section of the County. Salem and Roanoke County still share jail facilities but are otherwise politically separate. Residents of Salem do not pay taxes to Roanoke County. The Bureau of Economic Analysis
Bureau of Economic Analysis
The Bureau of Economic Analysis is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides important economic statistics including the gross domestic product of the United States. Its stated mission is to "promote a better understanding of the U.S...
combines the city of Salem with Roanoke County for statistical purposes.
Roanoke College
Roanoke College
Roanoke College is an private, coeducational, four-year liberal-arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The college is located in Salem, Virginia, a suburban independent city adjacent to Roanoke, Virginia...
is located in the city. The NCAA Division III National Football Championship
NCAA Division III national football championship
The NCAA Division III National Football Championship began in 1973. Before 1973, most of the schools now in Division III competed in the NCAA's former "College Division"....
, also known as the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, as well as the Division III Men's Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Championship
The NCAA holds an annual tournament to determine the Division III Men's Basketball Championship.Since 1996, the Division III men's basketball championship has been held at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia. The event has been hosted by the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and the City of...
, are played there annually. Salem is also the home to a minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team, the Salem Red Sox, formerly the Salem Avalanche.
History
The earliest history of Salem exists as archaeological evidence of Native American tribes as from far back as 8000 B.C. until the middle of the 18th century. Europeans first explored the area of Salem in 1671, when the ToteroTutelo
The Tutelo were Native people living above the Fall Line in present-day Virginia and West Virginia, speaking a Siouan dialect of the Tutelo language thought to be similar to that of their neighbors, the Monacan and Manahoac nations...
people had a village nearby. Explorers Thomas Batts and Robert Fallam gave the area its first recorded name: Totero Town, after this tribe, who supplied them with a guide to help with further exploration. Fort Lewis, named for General Andrew Lewis
Andrew Lewis (soldier)
Andrew Lewis was an American pioneer, surveyor, and soldier from Virginia. He served as a colonel of militia during the French and Indian War, and as a brigadier general in the American Revolutionary War...
, of what is now Roanoke County, was built west of the town in 1752. Salem's Andrew Lewis Middle School was named after General Lewis. Salem became a small settlement serving travelers on the Great Wilderness Road (roughly the same path followed by US-11 and later Interstate 81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
today) and was officially founded in 1802, receiving its charter in 1806. It is not known why the town was named Salem; the most widely accepted explanation is that it was named to honor William Bryan, a prominent citizen, who had moved from Salem, New Jersey
Salem, New Jersey
Salem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 5,146. It is the county seat of Salem County, the most rural county in the state of New Jersey. The name Salem is related to the Hebrew word shalom, meaning "peace".The town and...
. Salem was attacked twice by the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, but its Salem Flying Artillery is said to have fired the last Confederate shot at Appomattox Court House
Appomattox Court House
The Appomattox Courthouse is the current courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia built in 1892. It is located in the middle of the state about three miles northwest of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, once known as Clover Hill - home of the original Old Appomattox Court House...
prior to Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
's surrender. One of the city’s four elementary schools is named African American scientist G.W. Carver
George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver , was an American scientist, botanist, educator, and inventor. The exact day and year of his birth are unknown; he is believed to have been born into slavery in Missouri in January 1864....
. Before integration, this was the high school for African Americans in Salem.
Salem annexed South Salem in 1953 and also an eastern tract in 1960, giving it a population of 16,058 - making it Virginia's largest town at the time. Salem officially became a city on December 31, 1967, to avoid the possibility of annexation into the city of Roanoke.
Salem has been the home of two colleges. In 1847, the Virginia Institute, a boy's preparatory school, moved to Salem from Staunton
Staunton, Virginia
Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,746 as of 2010. It is the county seat of Augusta County....
. It received a college charter in 1853 and was renamed Roanoke College
Roanoke College
Roanoke College is an private, coeducational, four-year liberal-arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The college is located in Salem, Virginia, a suburban independent city adjacent to Roanoke, Virginia...
for the Roanoke Valley
Roanoke Valley
The Roanoke Valley in southwest Virginia is an area adjacent to and including the Roanoke River between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Appalachian Plateau to the west...
. The college is located in central Salem, one block north of Main Street. Roanoke Women's College, later named Elizabeth College
Elizabeth College, Virginia
Elizabeth College was a private Lutheran women's college in Charlotte, North Carolina and Salem, Virginia that operated between 1896 and 1922.Elizabeth, named after the wife of the earliest sponsor, was originally located in Charlotte where it operated alongside the Gerard Conservatory of Music...
, operated between 1912 and 1922. The college burned in late 1921 and did not reopen. Like Roanoke College, it was affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
. The Elizabeth College campus is now the site of residence halls and athletic fields that belong to Roanoke College.
Salem has a large interest in athletics. It is home to the Salem Red Sox, a Class High-A affiliate to the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. The Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the NCAA Division III Football Championship game
NCAA Division III national football championship
The NCAA Division III National Football Championship began in 1973. Before 1973, most of the schools now in Division III competed in the NCAA's former "College Division"....
is held at Salem Football Stadium
Salem Football Stadium
Salem Stadium is a stadium in Salem, Virginia, USA. It is primarily used for American football and hosts the home football games of the Salem High School Spartans. It was built in 1985 and seats 7,157 people. The stadium is part of the James E...
. Salem's success in holding that event led the NCAA to also move the NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Championship
The NCAA holds an annual tournament to determine the Division III Men's Basketball Championship.Since 1996, the Division III men's basketball championship has been held at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia. The event has been hosted by the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and the City of...
and the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship to the Salem Civic Center
Salem Civic Center
The Salem Civic Center is a 6,820-seat multi-purpose arena in Salem, Virginia. It was built in 1967 and is part of the James E. Taliaferro Sports and Entertainment Complex , which also includes the Salem Football Stadium and the Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium...
and the Women's NCAA Division III Softball Championship to Moyer Field. In August 2007, the Salem Football Stadium also hosted the Southwestern Virginia Educational Classic. This game is played annually in the Roanoke Valley and consists of two football teams from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The city hosts several other statewide, regional, and national sporting events at its facilities. These events are attracted by the city's hospitality, modern facilities and overall support. Salem High School
Salem High School (Salem, Virginia)
Salem High School is a public high school in Salem, Virginia. It is the sole high school for the .-History:Salem High School was opened for the 1977-1978 school year by . The student bodies of Andrew Lewis High School in Salem and Glenvar High School in western Roanoke County were consolidated...
, is also known for its athletic programs, particularly the football team which has won six state championships since 1996, and also the forensics team, which has won six consecutive state championships.
Geography
Salem is located at 37°17′12"N 80°3′21"W (37.286895, -80.055836).According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 city has a total area of 14.6 square miles (37.8 km²).
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 24,747 Salemites, 9,954 households, and 6,539 families residing in the city. 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 1,696.4 people per square mile (654.9/km²). There were 10,403 housing units at an average density of 713.1 per square mile (275.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.88% White, 5.88% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.97% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.25% 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 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.
There were 9,954 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% 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, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.84.
The age distribution is 20.9% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,997, and the median income for a family was $47,174. Males had a median income of $32,472 versus $23,193 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 city was $20,091. About 4.3% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
Salem In Media
Main Street in Downtown Salem has also been in the Documentary presentations, The Salem Christmas Parade which aired on Valley Vision TV, in the weeks near Christmas.Salem is also a filming spot for Valley Vision TV's show Insanity World TV, and many other film productions by film director Logan Hinson.