Salem Historical Society

   Salem Town Green, Hartford Road, Salem, CT 06420   
Phone: (860) 537-8556                 SalemCTHistory@aol.com

Salem Historic District

On National Register of Historic Places

Over the past 300 years, there have been quite a few villages around town, but the one which survived as the “Center of Salem” is the Salem Historic District around and south of the Salem Town Green. The Salem Historic District runs from north of Round Hill Road, down Hartford Road (Route 85), to south of Music Vale Road, includes Pratt Road, and some of Morgan Road. (There is a map at the Salem Town Hall and at the Salem Historical Society.) The Salem Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places, in 1980, by both the federal government and the State of Connecticut so it could be “protected” for America. It does NOT mean that someone “tells owners what color to paint their house.”

According to the United States, the authority on this,

“The National Register of Historic Places is the Nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our historic and archeological resources. Properties listed in the Register include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior.”

Salem Historic District – What was this area? Before Salem was even granted status as a Town by the General Assembly of Connecticut in 1819, “New Salem” or “Salem Parish” or the “Society of Salem”, was an area which people knew. It is mentioned in records in old diaries and maps from the early 1700’s. There had been a hub of activity, both business and homes, in this area where three old town boundaries met: Colchester, Montville, and Lyme. This area today is the area near Pratt Road, Hartford Road (Rt. 85) and Music Vale Road. When Salem was officially formed, it had areas of activity and homes which were already over 125 years old! We believe the oldest surviving house in Salem is still here in this Salem Historic District.

Salem in the1770’s – What happened to those 1775 families that lived in our town and sent 20+ Minutemen to the Lexington Alarm at the beginning of the Revolutionary War? And who were the Tories who were their friends before the War, and had to choose sides for or against the King of England and their friends? There were many disagreements, many speeches, and the volunteer of Salem stepped forward to do what they thought was the right thing for their families, their town, and the country that would become America. Who were the people that lived and worked in this Salem Historic District over the last 300 years?

In the 1830’s, the Salem Town Green as we know it today was formed. It was added to the village which already existed. The people who had owned and lived here were tavern owners, blacksmiths, Revolutionary war soldiers, Tories (who left after the Revolution), farmers, French and Indian War soldiers, wealthy statesman, store keepers, Civil war soldiers who were in Libby prison, people who taught at the “first” school of music of it kind in the nation, and many others. Salem was a happening place to be. We even had The President of the United States come to visit in the 1830’s.

Let’s jump forward to Present Day Salem – We are still gathering on the Salem Town Green.  This past Memorial Day, the town got together to honor our nation’s military services and remember all those who served or lost there lives protecting America. We marched through this Salem Historic District to the Salem Town Green with its old church, its old school house, the old town meeting house, and speeches were spoken by government official and others. This is the same place that many speeches have been spoken about in our hundreds of years of American Wars, American Heroes, and Protecting America. Sometimes we forget what really HAPPENED HERE. We think of this place as ours, but it also belongs to all Americans. It is their history too.  America has asked us to protect this Historic Place for all Americans.

General Salem History

The Town of Salem, Connecticut an area of 29.9 square miles located in the northwestern part of New London County was formed from sections of Lyme, Colchester, and Montville.  In the early days, Salem was called by its Native American name “Paugwonk”.

The old boundary line between Lyme and Colchester ran horizontally through town at about where the 2007 Roads of Music Vale Road, and Pratt Road area.  Deeds for Salem start about 1664, but these records were recorded in Lyme records. 

Church was very important to these people and they found it impossible at certain times of the year to attend services in Lyme and Colchester and Montville.  In 1725 they petitioned the General Court to become a separate parish.  By 1729 he had acquired 8,055 acres in southern Salem and 1,480 acres in northern Salem.  In the time of the American Revolutionary War, the patriot cause was strong with most everyone but the large landowners.  Considered a Tory, Colonel William Browne, a large landowner in Salem and other areas took refuge in Boston and fled to England in 1778.  On February 1, 1779 the Connecticut confiscated the Browne estate and the following year it was broken up into smaller farms and sold to help pay for Connecticut’s part in the war.

On May 5, 1819 with a population of about 1,200, Salem was incorporated into a separate town.

Salem rose to national prominence between 1835 and 1876 as a cultural center for music with the opening of Oramel Whittlesey’s Music Vale Seminary, the first music school in the country authorized to confer degrees to teach music.  (Drawing of the original seminary shown below.  The barn, at right still stands.)

Researching Salem, Connecticut

The Salem Historic Society has some records. If you are researching Salem land records or family records, very early records can be found in Colchester, Lyme and Montville records, as well as New London. The State Archives in Hartford holds some old records which were from New London County records. (Connecticut has a very limited county records system today.) Old church records are available to a limited extent from The Congregational Church of Salem. Also note that many early families in Salem, CT also had lands in Salem, Massachusetts (MA). This might create a bit of confusion if you are not careful in your research. It has also created some mistakes in existing records on genealogy sites.  Also remember that Connecticut borders changed over the years. For example, in the late 1700’s, Connecticut boundaries went to the Mississippi River. To complicate matters even more, there were other towns called Salem or New Salem in these areas.