Salisbury, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
 Salisbury Beach in 1906 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location inEssex County andMassachusetts | |
| Coordinates:42°50′30″N70°51′40″W / 42.84167°N 70.86111°W /42.84167; -70.86111 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Essex |
| Settled | 1638 |
| Incorporated | 1639 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
• Total | 17.8 sq mi (46.2 km2) |
| • Land | 15.4 sq mi (40.0 km2) |
| • Water | 2.4 sq mi (6.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 26 ft (8 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 9,236 |
| • Density | 598/sq mi (231/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Code | 01952 |
| Area code | 351/978 |
| FIPS code | 25-59245 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0618310 |
| Website | www |
Salisbury is a small coastal beachtown and summer tourist destination inEssex County, Massachusetts, United States. The community is a popularsummer resort beach town situated on theAtlantic Ocean, north ofBoston on theNew Hampshire border. It is home to the new Salisbury Beach Boardwalk, full of souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes, arcades and panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean. The population was 9,236 at the2020 census.[1] Parts of town comprise thecensus-designated place ofSalisbury.
The area currently known as Salisbury was inhabited for tens of thousands of years prior to European colonization. At the Morrill Point burial mound site on the north shore of the Merrimack River, there are human remains dating to 7,000 years ago[2] with some dating suggesting settlement there as early as 8,500 years ago.[3][4]
At the time of European contact and colonization, the area north of the Merrimack River was inhabited by thePentucket Tribe of thePennacook confederation,[5] who lived at the coastline seasonally to fish in the coastal wetlands.[6] Unlike other towns of what would become Essex County that negotiated the terms of European settlement with native inhabitants,[5] Salisbury was settled under the jurisdiction of a land grant from the Massachusetts Bay Colony General Court[7][8] and laid out in a compact defensive arrangement with a garrison house, night watch, and militia for the purpose of defending against native attack.[9]
Salisbury was colonized by theEnglish in 1638 as Colchester,[10] and incorporated in 1640 as Salisbury, afterSalisbury inWiltshire, England, the birthplace of Christopher Batt who was appointed to train the colonists' militia.[9] The original settlement was laid out in a compact semicircle, which allowed the residents to quickly reach thegarrison house, out of a fear of attack by surrounding native peoples.[9] Those roads still exist, though the shape today is triangular, being bounded by Elm Street, School Street and Bridge Road. A second threat came fromwolves, which were plentiful, and which killed thelivestock and dug in the graveyard.[11]
The original residents, including Richard Currier, were given one small house lot near the center of town, and one larger planting lot just outside the center forfarming. Families also owned large sections of "sweepage lots" near the beach, where apparently they harvested thesalt marsh hay. At the time, the area was almost entirely unbrokenvirgin forest, which had to be cleared for the construction of houses and the planting of fields.
Richard Currier was a millwright and was one of the original settlers of Salisbury. He is listed in the first division of house lots in 1640 and received additional land in 1641 and 1642. In 1654 there were sixty commoners in Salisbury and they voted that thirty families were to be chosen to move west of thePowwow River. Eighteen of these families were commoners and the number of commoners were increased to 26 by the time Salisbury New Town became the town ofAmesbury in 1668. Richard heads the list of the eighteen commoners and was one of the signers to the Articles of Agreement between the inhabitants of the Old Town and those of the New Town, 1 May 1654.[12]
In 1866, Beach Road was constructed across Great Marsh, providing access to the town's five miles (8 km) of pristine beach. It developed into a thriving summer resort, lined with hotels, restaurants, shops, cottages,arcades andamusement parks. Acarousel calledThe Flying Horses, hand carved byCharles I. D. Looff, was installed in 1914.John Miller builtThe Sky Rocket, the beach's firstroller coaster. ADodgem ride, originally built by Max and Harold Stoeher ofMethuen, operated at Salisbury Beach in one form or another from 1920 to 1980. Major entertainers provided concerts, includingGlenn Miller,Ella Fitzgerald,Louis Armstrong,Frank Sinatra andLiberace.
The resort remained vibrant through the 1960s, then gradually faded.WildCat, the last roller coaster, was razed in 1976. Pirate's Fun Park, the last small amusement park, closed in 2004 to be replaced withcondominiums.[13]
Due toclimate change, Salisbury's coastline has begun rapidly eroding. In March of 2024, several beachfront residents had paid $565,000 for artificial sand dunes as protection for the beachfront houses, only for it to be washed away within three days following a severe storm.[14]
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According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 17.9 square miles (46.2 km2), of which 15.4 square miles (40.0 km2) is land and 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2; 13.50%) is water. Salisbury is the northernmost town in Massachusetts, with its northwestern corner (where Elmwood Street meets the New Hampshire border) being at approximately 42°53'12.26". Lying along the northern banks of theMerrimack River at its mouth, the town is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Merrimack River andNewburyport to the south,Amesbury to the west, andSeabrook, New Hampshire, to the north. The town is home toSalisbury Beach State Reservation, a park which includes the entire seacoast and a small portion inland, as well as the Ram Island and Carr Island State Wildlife Management Areas, the two islands lying in the middle of the Merrimack (along with Eagle Island, which is not protected). Much of the town is covered by marshes, especially in the eastern part of town. Several brooks and creeks run through town as well. The town contains three villages, Salisbury Beach, Salisbury Plains (in the northwestern corner of town) and Browns Point (between Salisbury Beach and the center of town).
Salisbury has one public school, Salisbury Elementary School. Middle school students attend Triton Regional Middle School, and high school students attendTriton Regional High School, along with students fromNewbury andRowley.
The town lies along the northern end ofU.S. Route 1 in Massachusetts. It enters the town via the Newburyport Turnpike Bridge and heads in a roughly S-shaped route through the center of town to the New Hampshire border. Prior to the erection of the bridge, the road south of the town center was east of its current location, leading along Ferry Road to a ferry landing, which connected the town to Newburyport. The town also constitutes the northern termini ofInterstate 95 in Massachusetts, and ofInterstate 495, which lies just one-quarter mile into the town at I-95 Exit 59. Exit 60 gives access to both Route 1 andMassachusetts/New Hampshire Route 286, which provides access to the beaches. The eastern terminus ofMassachusetts Route 110 is in Salisbury (at Route 1), and accesses I-95 at Exit 58, just over the Amesbury town line. The northernmost segment ofMassachusetts Route 1A passes through town, entering concurrently with Route 1 before heading east from the town center and turning north along Salisbury Beach to joinNew Hampshire Route 1A.
TheMerrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority provides local bus service connecting Salisbury to nearby communities. The nearest train station is inNewburyport.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 1,780 | — |
| 1800 | 1,855 | +4.2% |
| 1810 | 2,047 | +10.4% |
| 1820 | 2,006 | −2.0% |
| 1830 | 2,519 | +25.6% |
| 1840 | 2,739 | +8.7% |
| 1850 | 3,100 | +13.2% |
| 1860 | 3,310 | +6.8% |
| 1870 | 3,776 | +14.1% |
| 1880 | 4,079 | +8.0% |
| 1890 | 1,316 | −67.7% |
| 1900 | 1,558 | +18.4% |
| 1910 | 1,658 | +6.4% |
| 1920 | 1,701 | +2.6% |
| 1930 | 2,194 | +29.0% |
| 1940 | 2,376 | +8.3% |
| 1950 | 2,695 | +13.4% |
| 1960 | 3,154 | +17.0% |
| 1970 | 4,179 | +32.5% |
| 1980 | 5,973 | +42.9% |
| 1990 | 6,882 | +15.2% |
| 2000 | 7,827 | +13.7% |
| 2010 | 8,283 | +5.8% |
| 2020 | 9,236 | +11.5% |
| 2022* | 9,189 | −0.5% |
| * = population estimate. Source:United States census records andPopulation Estimates Program data.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] | ||
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,827 people, 3,082 households, and 1,990 families residing in the town. The population density was 507.1 inhabitants per square mile (195.8/km2). There were 4,156 housing units at an average density of 104.0 persons/km2 (269.3 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 97.55% White, 0.41%African American, 0.31%Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, 1.05% from two or more races, and 1.18% wasHispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,082 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 10.9% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 35.4% were non-families. Of all households, 26.6% were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 23.6% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,310, and the median income for a family was $56,327. Males had a median income of $41,705 versus $31,250 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $21,608; 6.8% of the population and 4.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 9.6% are under the age of 18 and 5.6% are 65 or older.
Salisbury is part of theMassachusetts Senate's 1st Essex district.[26]
East Salisbury one room School House of 1882
Places adjacent to Salisbury, Massachusetts | |
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Municipalities and communities ofEssex County, Massachusetts,United States | ||
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