New Salem, Illinois, a former village in Sangamon County that is now a state park. It is 16 miles (26 km) northwest of Springfield. New Salem was the home of Abraham Lincoln from 1831 to 1837. Only one of the original buildings survives; the rest are replicas. A small museum contains pioneer relics. New Salem was founded in 1828. It declined after the county seat was moved to Petersburg in 1839. The area was obtained by the state in 1918.