New Salem is a small town located in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. In 2020, about 983 people lived there. It is part of the larger Springfield area.

A Look Back: New Salem's History
- How the Quabbin Reservoir Changed New Salem
- Exploring the Quabbin Reservation Today
New Salem's Geography and Size
- The Quabbin Reservoir and Town Borders
- Neighboring Towns and Cities
Weather in New Salem
Getting Around: Transportation
Learning in New Salem: Education
Who Lives in New Salem: Demographics
- Households and Families
- Age and Income
Famous People from New Salem
Images for kids
See also

A Look Back: New Salem's History

New Salem was first settled in 1737. It officially became a town in 1753. The town was named by settlers who came from Salem.

How the Quabbin Reservoir Changed New Salem

The building of the Quabbin Reservoir greatly changed New Salem's size and shape. Before the reservoir, New Salem was much smaller. It did not go far south of a village called Cooleyville.

When the reservoir was built, New Salem gained a lot of land. This land was above the water line between the two parts of the reservoir. This made New Salem the only land connection to the peninsula.

New Salem's southern borders now follow where the Swift River used to flow. The town now includes most of the former town of Prescott. It also includes parts of Greenwich and Enfield. These new lands were once part of Hampshire County.

Exploring the Quabbin Reservation Today

Today, much of the land New Salem gained is protected. It is part of the Quabbin Reservation. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) manages this area.

Most of these lands are off-limits to the public. However, researchers from the Five Colleges used to have access to the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory. This observatory was located on what was once the Prescott-Greenwich town line.

Also, members of the Swift River Historical Society take a special bus tour each year. They visit the peninsula area. Other than these special cases, people are not allowed to enter these protected lands.

New Salem's Geography and Size

South Main Street

New Salem covers about 151.9 square kilometers (58.6 square miles). About 116.0 square kilometers (44.8 square miles) is land. The rest, about 36.0 square kilometers (13.9 square miles), is water. This large amount of water is due to the Quabbin Reservoir.

Because of the Prescott Peninsula lands, New Salem is the largest town in Franklin County. It is also the biggest community by area in western Massachusetts. This includes Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire counties. It is the twenty-first largest of all 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts.

The Quabbin Reservoir and Town Borders

New Salem's southern borders are now shaped by the Quabbin Reservoir. The former West and Middle Branches of the Swift River are now underwater. The land between the two parts of the reservoir is called the Prescott Peninsula. This peninsula has the highest points in town, like Mount Pleasant and Prescott Hill.

The town also owns several islands in the reservoir. These include islands around Russ Mountain and Mount L. Much of the original town was high ground. It sloped down towards the marshes near Lake Rohunta, close to the Athol town line.

Neighboring Towns and Cities

New Salem is in the southeastern corner of Franklin County. Its land stretches south between Hampshire County and Worcester County.

New Salem shares borders with several towns:

Orange to the north
Athol to the northeast
Petersham to the east
Ware to the south
Belchertown to the southeast
Pelham, Shutesbury, and Wendell to the west

Because of the reservoir, there is no direct land connection between New Salem and Pelham, Belchertown, or Ware.

From the town common, New Salem is about 30 kilometers (19 miles) east-southeast of Greenfield. Greenfield is the county seat. It is also about 56 kilometers (35 miles) north-northeast of Springfield. Worcester is about 64 kilometers (40 miles) northwest. Boston is about 121 kilometers (75 miles) west.

Weather in New Salem

In New Salem, temperatures usually drop below 10°C (50°F) for about 195 days each year. The town gets a lot of rain, typically about 113 centimeters (44.6 inches) per year. This is considered a high amount for the U.S.

Snow covers the ground for about 62 days a year. This means snow is on the ground for about 17% of the year. The humidity is usually below 60% for about 25 days, which is about 7% of the year.

Getting Around: Transportation

New Salem does not have any major highways like interstates. It is just south of Massachusetts Route 2. Route 2 is a main road that goes east and west through northern Massachusetts.

The easiest way to reach New Salem is by U.S. Route 202. This road comes from Pelham in the west. It goes through the center of New Salem before heading north towards Orange and Route 2.

For about the last half-mile in New Salem, Route 202 runs with Massachusetts Route 122. Route 122 enters New Salem from Petersham. It goes northwest towards Route 202. Both roads then enter Orange and split up shortly after.

The closest airport for small planes is Orange Municipal Airport to the north. For bigger flights, the nearest airport is Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. This airport is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of New Salem.

Learning in New Salem: Education

New Salem has the Swift River Elementary School. This school teaches students from kindergarten through sixth grade. It also serves students from the nearby town of Wendell.

After elementary school, students go to Ralph C. Mahar Regional High School. This high school is located in Orange.

Who Lives in New Salem: Demographics

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1840	1,275	—
1850	1,253	−1.7%
1860	957	−23.6%
1870	987	+3.1%
1880	869	−12.0%
1890	856	−1.5%
1900	807	−5.7%
1910	639	−20.8%
1920	512	−19.9%
1930	414	−19.1%
1940	357	−13.8%
1950	392	+9.8%
1960	397	+1.3%
1970	474	+19.4%
1980	688	+45.1%
1990	802	+16.6%
2000	929	+15.8%
2010	990	+6.6%
2020	983	−0.7%
2023	1,014	+3.2%
Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data.

In 2000, there were 929 people living in New Salem. There were 379 households and 264 families. The town had about 8 people per square kilometer (20.7 people per square mile).

Most people in New Salem were White (95.48%). A small number were African American, Native American, or Asian. Some people were of Hispanic or Latino background.

Households and Families

About 30.3% of households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (59.6%) were married couples. About 8.2% had a female head of household with no husband.

The average household had 2.45 people. The average family had 2.88 people.

Age and Income

The population was spread out by age:

24.2% were under 18
3.4% were 18 to 24
29.6% were 25 to 44
32.8% were 45 to 64
9.9% were 65 or older

The average age in New Salem was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were about 104.6 males.

In 2000, the average income for a household was $48,688. For a family, it was $54,500. The average income per person in the town was $23,234. About 6.3% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 8.8% of those under 18 and 3.0% of those 65 or older.

Famous People from New Salem

New Salem has been home to several notable people:

Elisha H. Allen (1804–1883) – He was a member of the United States Congress from Maine. He also served as a Consul to Hawaii.
Shepard Cary (1805–1866) – He was a U.S. Representative from Maine.
Hiram Giles (1820–1895) – He was a state legislator in Wisconsin.
Joshua Mason Macomber (1811–1881) – He was an educator and a doctor.
Adam Schoenberg (1980–Present) – He is an American composer.
William Stacy (1734–1802) and Benjamin Haskell – These two were important patriots during the American Revolutionary War. They were honored by New Salem's sesquicentennial commission.

Images for kids

New Salem Town Common
Location of New Salem in Franklin County, Massachusetts
Seal of New Salem, Massachusetts

New Salem, Massachusetts facts for kids

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