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BHistory
History · Salem

Salem dates to 1819, and 4 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 63% of U.S. towns · #128 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it

Most of Salem was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1988. 4 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 19 buildings. Below: maps from 1893 on and the census since 1820.

1819founded
4on the National Register
7%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Salem began

When was Salem founded?

1819

Salem dates its founding to 1819 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1820.

First census: 1,053 in 1820207 years

How historic is Salem?

B

More historic than 63% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1816.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Salem’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Salem is more historic than 63% of U.S. towns, #128 of 155 in Connecticut. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Salem’s overall grade.
Founding era1819, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19406.5% of homes (±2.8) · typical CT town 15.1% · U.S. 8.4%C+National Register4 listings, 25 historic buildings, 58.4 per 10,000 residents · typical CT town 73.3 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 63%
NewerOlder
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 18%

Connecticut towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Connecticut town has 73.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Salem’s 58.4 sits near the middle of its state (43% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 25 historic buildings outnumber those of 81% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A−. The pre-1940 share (±2.8 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1819.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Salem’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Salem are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost half of its people between 1820 and 1930, then grew more than tenfold.On the map since 18935 editions of the USGS map, 1893 to 1984. Watch Salem change.Lost villages1 post office opened and closed inside today’s Salem, and 4 old place names are still on the map.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Salem’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Salem’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Salem, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,50018501900195020001,053 in 1820Low: 403

Lost half of its people between 1820 and 1930, then grew more than tenfold.

19 censuses, 1820–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Salem’s Wikipedia page.

On the map

Salem on the map, 1893 to 1984

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Salem. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Salem on the 1893 USGS mapSalem on the 1952 USGS mapSalem on the 1961 USGS mapSalem on the 1971 USGS mapSalem on the 1984 USGS map1893Saybrook sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Salem.

The story

How Salem came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Salem.

Read it all →

The area was originally inhabited by the Mohegan people. The first settlement of European origin in present-day Salem (then part of the town of Montville) was deeded in 1664. The settlers were of English origin. 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.

ChaptersPre-incorporation1819 to the presentSalem todaySalem traditions

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Salem, 1772 to 2020

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 18th century
  2. 1772Born hereSamuel M. Hopkins is born here
  3. 19th century
  4. 1816Post officeThe New Salem post office opens
  5. 1819
    FoundingSalem is established
  6. 1835BuiltAbel H. Fish House is built
  7. 1837Post officeThe New Salem post office closes
  8. 1837Post officeThe Salem post office opens
  9. 1893On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 20th century
  11. 1905Post officeThe Salem post office closes
  12. 21st century
  13. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 4,213
By decade

Salem, decade by decade

Today17 recent
Avery Corner2024Avery CornerMMDA-Photos - 2021-10-13 - Salem Town Green2021MMDA-Photos - 2021-10-13 - Salem Town GreenSalem Town House2018Salem Town HouseSalem Green2018Salem GreenSalemCT WoodbridgeFarm2016SalemCT WoodbridgeFarmSalemCT SimonTiffanyHouse2016SalemCT SimonTiffanyHouseSalemCT AbelHFishHouse2016SalemCT AbelHFishHouseFall scene2011Fall sceneFall scene2011Fall sceneBarn2011BarnFall scene in2011Fall scene inFall scene in2011Fall scene inFall scene in2011Fall scene inCongregational Church2011Congregational ChurchBarn in2011Barn inSalem CT lg2010Salem CT lgUS-CT-Salem2009US-CT-Salem
On the National Register

4 listings protect 25 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
25
each building in a district counts
first listed
1980
Salem Historic District
Salem Historic DistrictAbel H. Fish House, built 1835Simon Tiffany HouseWoodbridge Farm
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival2
Colonial2
Gothic Revival1
Postmedieval English1
Early 20th Century Revivals1
Colonial Revival1
Salem Historic DistrictGreek Revival
Abel H. Fish HouseGreek Revival · Built 1835
Simon Tiffany HouseColonial
Woodbridge FarmColonial

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Salem had its own post office from 1837 to 1905. Another post office, New Salem, opened and closed inside today’s town.

New Salem
1816–1837
Salem
1837–1905
18101920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Avery CornerCrowley CornerHeilwield CornerMilestone Corner
Gone or out of use
Gardner Lake AirportairportPaugwaunk ChurchchurchPond Schoolschool
10cemeteries and burying grounds inside Salem
Cockle HillCongregational Church of SalemFoxLathropMorganSalemWayWhittleseyWinakerWoodbridge

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Montville5 historic placesBBozrah1 historic placeBColchester8 historic placesA−East Haddam13 historic placesALyme2 historic placesA+East Lyme6 historic placesB

Questions about Salem’s history

What year was Salem founded?

In 1819, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Salem’s post office opened in 1816, and the census of 1820 counted 1,053 people here.

How does Salem rank for history?

Salem is more historic than 63% of U.S. towns, #128 of 155 in Connecticut. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Salem?

4 listings: 3 buildings and 1 historic district, the Salem Historic District, with 19 contributing buildings. 25 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Salem?

7% of Salem’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.8 points), against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town; the median home was built in 1988.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (14), the Library of Congress (3), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.