Salem is a town located in Southeastern New Hampshire in the Merrimack Valley Region of the state. It is situated in Southern Rockingham Count and encompasses a total area of 25.9 square miles, 1.2 of which is water. As of the 2010 United States Census, Salem was home to 28,776 people.
The land that comprises Salem was first settled in 1652. In its early years, it was considered the “North Parish” of Methuen, then a city in Massachusetts. When the bounder line between Massachusetts and New Hampshire was established in 1741, the North Parish area became officially a part of New Hampshire, taking on the name “Salem” in honor of the Massachusetts town of the same name. Salem was incorporated by Governor Benning Wentworth in 1750.
Less than 5 percent of Salem’s total area is made up of water. The town includes parts of Spicket River, Policy Brook, Canobie Lake, Arlington Mill Reservoir and World End Pond, and its highest point lies at Gordons Hill, where elevation reaches 380 feet above sea level. Salem is home to notable sites like: America’s Stonehenge; Rockingham Park Race Track, the first horse race track in all of New England; the Manchester and Lawrence Railroad rail trail; and Icenter, a local skating rink. Parts of “The Thomas Crown Affair” were filmed at the town?s glider airport, which has since be turned into a golf course.
Salem is governed by an elected Board of Selectmen. The town boasts a full-time police department, a municipal fire department and municipal emergency medical services. Top employers in the area include Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital, JC Penney Co., Key Packaging Industries Corporation, Reliable Security Guard Agency, Salem Haven Inc. and The Home Depot.
Children in the area attend schools in the Salem School District. For recreation and entertainment, Salem residents can enjoy the town’s municipal parks, golf courses, swimming pools, tennis courts, ice skating rink, bowling facilities, museums, youth organizations, sports leagues, fishing and hunting areas, boating marinas, cross country skiing, snowmobile trails and local beaches and waterfront areas.