The Salem Historic District encompasses the historic 19th-century town center of

Salem, Connecticut Salem is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,213 at the 2020 census. History Pre-incorporation The area was originally inhabited by the Mohegan people. The first settlement of European origin in pr ...

. It extends along

Connecticut Route 85 Route 85 is 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. The section of Route 85 between Route 82 in Salem and Interstate 95 (I-95) in W ...

roughly from Round Hill Road to Music Vale Road, and includes the rural town's major civic and institutional buildings, as well as a number of surrounding residences. The area was developed after the town was incorporated in 1819, and was mostly built out by 1885. The district was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1980.

Description and history

Salem was in the early 19th century a rural agricultural area, which was incorporated out of its neighboring towns in 1819, when its population was at its 19th-century height of just over 1,000. Before this time, it lacked any sort of town civic or commercial center, since those other towns provided most of the necessary services. Its center developed along the major road through the town, now CT 85, in a somewhat haphazard manner except for the constellation of buildings surrounding the modest town green. These are the c. 1840 Greek Revival Congregational Church, the Queen Anne Grange Hall (built in 1885 as a school), and the old Town House. The Town House is one of the district's oldest buildings, constructed in 1749 in

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

and moved here in 1831 by an Episcopal congregation that added its Gothic Revival features. The congregation died out soon afterward, and the building was acquired by the town for municipal functions; it now houses the local historical society. Other civic buildings include the town library, built about 1929 after a gift by native son, explorer, and politician

Hiram Bingham III Hiram Bingham III (November 19, 1875 – June 6, 1956) was an American academic, explorer and politician. He made public the existence of the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in 1911 with the guidance of local indigenous farmers. Later, Bingham s ...

, and the remains of the

Music Vale Seminary Music Vale Seminary, also known as the Salem Normal Academy of Music, was a Normal school, normal Music school, music conservatory for women in Salem, Connecticut, Salem, Connecticut. It was the first accredited music school in the United States. ...

, a music school founded in 1835 and closed in 1876. Its main building was destroyed by fire in 1897, but a barn and other elements of its grounds survive near the southern end of the district. Also in that area is "The Tavern", probably the oldest building to be built in the district; it was built about 1720, and was the home of Reverend John Whittlesey. Whittlesey's house was a regular stop for travelers on the route between

Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since t ...

and

New London New London may refer to: Places United States *New London, Alabama *New London, Connecticut *New London, Indiana *New London, Iowa *New London, Maryland *New London, Minnesota *New London, Missouri *New London, New Hampshire, a New England town ** ...

References

{{National Register of Historic Places National Register of Historic Places in New London County, Connecticut Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut Greek Revival architecture in Connecticut Gothic Revival architecture in Connecticut Salem, Connecticut

Description and history

See also

References