"Slept like a baby."

The Fairchild House Bed and Breakfast, 177 Main Street, Salem NY 12865 (518) 854-7375 Email

Welcome to the Fairchild House Bed and Breakfast

We are a historic bed and breakfast in a rural village, where the pace is unhurried and relaxing. We feature the culture and history of the New York / Vermont border in our rooms and activities. But we are up-to-date in our bathrooms, menus, and choice of amenities. We invite you to have a pleasant stay.

Your hosts, Christine and Ted

Christine Brooks-Corbett, MA.

12 years proprietor of Old Parsonage Quilts, Shaftsbury, Vermont, she taught quilting at Bennington Museum, Quiet Valley Quilt Guild, Tompkins County Community College, Empire State College and she is a commissioned quilt artist. Her quilts have been recognized with the Governor’s Award at the Eastern Exposition Show, the People’s Choice Award at the Bennington Quiltfest, a ribbon at the Vermont Quilt Festival, and an Award of Merit from the Heritage Quilt Show in Indiana.

Ted Corbett, Ph.D.

Trained in European history, he went on the develop an interest in the architecture, social development, and material culture of the colonial Americas. He has taught at the University of Southern California, Florida State University, Cooperstown Graduate Program in Museum Studies, Adirondack & Schenectady Community Colleges, Community College of Vermont and Castleton State College. He also pursued a career in museums and historic preservation at the International Center of Photography and the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. His most recent work is on the history of New York / Vermont borderland. More info>>>

The Fairchild House is located in Salem, New York
and was built of brick in 1840 after two fires had swept the village. Its Georgian layout consists of a first level of four rooms, two on each side of a central hall, focused on curving staircase to the second level. The enormous front step is made of a single marble slab. Marinus and Harriet Fairchild purchased the house in 1867. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and received a preservation award in 1992. The Fairchild House is furnished with period antiques, has a library and collections for the use of its patrons, and provides comfortable accommodations.

About Salem, New York

Salem is located in the heart of the New York/Vermont Borderland.

On a map, three rivers cut east and west from Vermont’s Green and Taconic Mountains to the Hudson-Champlain basin, forming the borderland. In the north, the Mettawee River channels its way to Lake Champlain. In the south, the Hoosick meanders toward the Hudson River. In the center, near Salem, the Battenkill swiftly falls in the direction of the Hudson. Falls in these three rivers became the sites of mills and factories that developed into the centers of communities. More info>>>

John Williams

Carving by Zerubbabel Collins


A Williams Home

Salem Station, 1909

Fort Salem Theater

Photo by Peter Hanks

Salem developed in the New York /Vermont Borderland

Settled in 1763, Salem brought together settlers from Scotland, Northern Ireland, and New England. John Williams came in 1773 and became the town’s leading citizen and represented it in the government of the emerging nation. He prevented Salem from joining Vermont and he secured Salem’s position as one of Washington County’s two county seats.

In the late 18th century, art was rare, except in Salem’s cemetery where the works of Vermont marble carver Zerubbabel Collins remain.

You can still see houses erected in the late 18th century by the Williams family and others. They reflect the taste of the Hudson Valley for Georgian style architecture and gambrel roofs.

In the mid-19th century, Salem got another boost with arrival of the railroad around which its downtown grew.

Churches of the diverse denominations that settled Salem are still here. Some denominations still operate in their original building, while other churches have been adapted for another use. A former Presbyterian Church is now the Fort Salem Theater.

Throughout its history, Salem’s countryside remained productive and beautiful as its farming evolved. Early on sheep were the basis of the economy, soon followed by the butter, cheese and milk of dairy, and then supported by the growing potatoes and vegetables.

Photo by Peter Hanks






Sculptured Signpost Gives Directions

Salem Today

Much of Salem’s historic ambience is still here today.

The village boasts one of the finest collections of historic architecture in New York State and much of it has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976. Using one of these buildings, the Fort Salem Theater provides a year-round schedule of cabaret and theater productions.

The Battenkill River’s role has also changed from being the site of mills to becoming famed for fishing, kayaking and tubing. The nearby Taconic and Green Mountains offer hiking and skiing.

Shopping, sightseeing and dinning are readily available in Salem with the Artisans of North Main, the North Main Gallery, Blindbuck Interiors, McCartee’s Barn, Steiningers Restaurant, Fred’s Deli, Salem Art Works, Garden Works, the Salem Courthouse and many more.

Artisans of North Main

Annual Battenkill-Roubaix

Annually the Battenkill-Roubaix makes Salem a center for bicycle recreation.

Self-guided walking and cycling/driving tour brochures are available at the Fairchild House. These cover not only Salem, but the Battenkill Valley, area covered bridges, and three military tours: Burgoyne’s Campaign, the Bennington Battle, and the Secession of the Borderland Towns. Top of page >>>