On Sunday I hit the road with a carload of teenage Girl Scouts bound for a day trip to Howe Caverns, just east of Cobleskil, New York. Traveling south on route 10, we passed through many quiet, quaint rural towns that offered beautiful views of the rolling foothills of the Catskill mountains. But when we rounded a bend and entered the village of Sharon Springs we knew we had found something a little extra special. As we slowly drove along the winding Main Street, past the huge Victorian homes and abandoned hotels, we made the decision to stop on our way back and explore this place that seemed to be frozen in time. What we found was the nostalgia of the past just waiting to be rediscovered and enjoyed in the present.
Sharon Springs was once a busy and thriving resort town for the wealthy at a time when mineral water spas were all the rage. From the second half of the 19th century through the early 20th century, Sharon Springs played host to many of the socially elite, including the Vanderbilts, Ulysses S. Grant and Oscar Wilde. Several grand and elegant hotels were built, and beautiful homes, many of them serving as summer residences, sprang up along the hilly side streets. As time passed, however, tastes changed and people began frequenting other resort areas not so far off the beaten path. Without patrons visiting the grand hotels, they were abandoned and fell into disrepair. The amazing architecture of Sharon Springs became victims of neglect, their fading facades telling the stories of their glory days.
Fortunately, there are many who have recognized that the neglect has in some ways preserved the charm of this village and it's history. The restoration of several buildings, including the American Hotel, is calling people to this place once again. While visiting, we spoke with several villagers who expressed hope that Sharon Springs will once again become a destination, rather than just a place to stop "on the way through". The owner of the Cobbler and Company (shown above with one of our scouts holding Midnight, the resident black cat) told us that when she opened for business no one thought she would succeed in such a small town. As a bit of a joke she had customers sign the old plaster walls as a record of the visitors to the shop. Today the signatures represent visitors from all 50 states and 40 countries! The shop's maze of rooms are filled with a dizzying array of gift items, jewelry, antiques and candies. There is also a nice selection of books and stationary celebrating Sharon Spring's rich history.
Across the street we stopped at the American Hotel. We entered on the premise of looking for a brochure, but we really wanted to take a look inside of this historical gem. The hotel was built about 1847, and was purchased by the current owners in 1996. Beautifully restored, it now has 9 rooms available as well as a 4-star restaurant which has been featured on the Food Network and HGTV's Restore America. A photo of the hotel can be found below.
As we drove along the streets of the village we were charmed by both the architecture and the residents, who would stop and stare as we rolled by as though they weren't used to seeing visitors driving through. The people were eager to tell us their story and asked us to come back again to visit this charming piece of history. I'm hoping to do just that. There aren't many places that take you back in time to the extent of Sharon Springs. Like a seashell at the ocean, if you stand in one of the old gazebos, erected during the days of the mineral spas, and listen carefully you might actually hear the beat of horses hooves and the creak of carriage wheels.
All information for this post came from the walking tour and brochures from the Chamber of Commerce and the American Hotel. The most valuable information came from several village residents we spoke to, whose names I am afraid we did not get. Thank you for sharing your village with us!! Photos were taken by me, the Housewife. For more information, please see the links to the left of the web page.
