New Salem, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
New Salem
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 New Salem
Location in New York
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| Region | Capital District |
| County | Albany |
| Settled (farmland) | 1770 |
| Elevation | 420 ft (130 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code |
12186
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| Area code(s) | 518 |
New Salem is a small community called a hamlet in Albany County, New York. It is part of the town of New Scotland. You can find it in a valley at the bottom of the Helderberg Escarpment. The main road through New Salem is New York State Route 85. Every year, New Salem hosts a local fair and a cool car show. It is also home to New Scotland's community center and a museum.
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History of New Salem
People first started settling in the New Salem area around 1770. They used the land for farming. Soon after, a road called Beaverdam Road was built through the future hamlet.
There's a fun story about how New Salem got its first name, "Punkintown." Legend says that pumpkins grown here were so big, a mother pig and her babies could live inside one! The name New Salem was chosen when the post office opened in 1830.
In 1806, Beaverdam Road was changed to follow the shape of the mountains. After this, New Salem started to grow. More houses and a church were built.
In 1850, a company was formed to build a special road called a plank road. This road would go from Albany through New Salem. A plank road is made of wooden planks laid side-by-side. The part of the road from New Salem to Albany was built with planks. However, the section going west from New Salem was not improved.
Later, in 1854, the company was allowed to change parts of the road into a turnpike. This meant they could charge money (tolls) to use it. The planks were removed from the section of road going east from New Salem.
In 1947, a business called New Salem Garage started in the hamlet. It was a service station that later became a car dealership selling Saab cars. Even though the car dealership moved away from New Salem, it still uses the name. It's one of the oldest Saab dealerships in the United States! In the early 1990s, the original New Salem location became a lawn and garden center. It sells things like Cub Cadet lawn tractors and snowblowers.
The New Salem Schoolhouse used to be a one-room school. In 1988, it was made bigger and became the town's first community center. The New Scotland Historical Society opened a museum there in 1997. It shows the history of the town.
Geography of New Salem
New Salem is located in the western part of the town of New Scotland. It is west of the hamlet of New Scotland and southwest of the village of Voorheesville.
The hamlet sits in a valley. The Helderberg Escarpment is a steep cliff to the west, and there are hills to the east. The main part of New Salem is where New Scotland Road (New York State Route 85) meets New Salem Road (New York State Route 85A).
Location of New Salem
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John Boyd Thacher State Park | Village of Voorheesville | |
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Town of New Scotland | |||
 hamlet of New Salem  |
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| hamlet of Clarksville |
Culture and Community
New Salem is home to the Wyman Osterhout Community Center. This building used to be a one-room schoolhouse. Today, it houses the New Scotland Historical Society (NSHS). It's also a place for senior citizens to gather. The NSHS has a museum inside the center that shares the town's history.
Since 1942, New Salem has hosted the Punkintown Fair. It first started to raise money for soldiers during World War II. Since 1946, the local volunteer fire department has sponsored the fair. They use the money to buy new equipment. A classic car show is also held the weekend before the fair.
Education in New Salem
Children in New Salem attend schools in the Voorheesville Central School District (VCS).
Younger students go to Voorheesville Elementary School for kindergarten through fifth grade. Middle school students attend Voorheesville Middle School for grades six to eight. Older students go to Clayton A. Bouton High School for ninth through twelfth grade.]
