The Native Americans of the Mohawk Valley were the first to discover the mystical beauty of Sharon and the healing powers of its mineral springs, using the sulfur-rich waters to heal the skin. (These same waters are used in our Beekman 1802 soaps.)
Sharon Springs is one of the only places in the world with a confluence of three distinct mineral springs (sulfur, magnesium, and chalybeate)-each with a temple built to mark the point at which the waters bubble forth from the earth.
n the late 19th and early 20th century, Sharon Springs was a fashionable spa resort that entertained American presidents like Martin van Buren and Theodore Roosevelt as well as the social elites like the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers. The sloping streets would swell with as many as 20,000 visitors in the summer and the New York Times would send its correspondents to report on the comings and goings of the wealthy.
But times change like the seasons, and the rich abandoned Sharon Springs for more exotic locations, the Great Depression struck another blow, and the construction of US 20 bypassed the village (even today it’s possible to drive right by the turn to go down into the village proper)
Throughout the decades, scarcely a person has driven through the village and dreamed of its possibilities. We would love to see the next chapter in its history include a revival of its spa heritage and a nod to the rich agricultural traditions of upstate NY.
Good food. Good bodies. Good life.
Have you driven through Sharon Springs lately?
Tell us what you dreamed of.
Below is a selection of photos of Sharon Springs in its healing heyday. Photos courtesy of the Sharon Springs Historical Society.
