The farming community of Salem in the northwest part of present-day Fayetteville included a community building variously used as a church and schoolhouse until the early 21st century.
The community building, no longer standing, was near the southeast corner of North Salem Road and West Salem Road.
The community’s name is probably taken from any of the numerous towns across the United States — from Salem, Massachusetts, to Salem, Oregon — and around the world that are also named “Salem,” which means “peaceful” and has its roots in Arabic and Hebrew.