You’re driving down Route 20 in Schoharie County, and if you blink, you might miss the turn-off. Most people do. They see the weathered signs for Sharon Springs New York and assume it’s just another fading Upstate town with more ghosts than residents.
But they’re wrong. Honestly, Sharon Springs is a bit of a freak of nature—in the best way possible.
It’s a place where 19th-century bathhouses stand next to world-class skincare empires, and where the population of goats occasionally feels like it rivals the human census. It isn't a museum, though it looks like one. It's a living, breathing comeback story that’s still being written in real-time.
The Water That Built (and Nearly Killed) the Village
People used to lose their minds over the mud here. Back in the mid-1800s, Sharon Springs was the "it" spot for the Vanderbilt crowd and European royalty. Oscar Wilde even swung by in 1882. Why? Because the ground literally leaks four different kinds of mineral water: magnesia, chalybeate, blue stone, and white sulphur.
The sulphur is the big one. It smells like a matchstick factory, but it supposedly cures everything from eczema to a broken heart.
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By the early 1900s, 10,000 people a year were cramming into grand hotels like the Pavilion and the Roseboro. Then, the Great Depression hit. Then, air conditioning happened. People didn’t want to sweat in a sulphur tub in the Catskills anymore; they wanted the Jersey Shore or a flight to Florida. The village didn't just decline; it essentially went into a coma for fifty years.
The Great Awakening
Walking down Main Street today feels like being on a movie set where the crew just left for lunch. You have these massive, crumbling Greek Revival structures like the Imperial Baths—which, fun fact, is currently undergoing a massive multimillion-dollar renovation to become a Korean-style spa—sitting right across from meticulously restored boutiques.
It’s a weird, beautiful contrast.
The Beekman 1802 Effect
You can't talk about Sharon Springs New York without mentioning the "Beekman Boys," Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge. In 2008, they were two NYC professionals who lost their jobs and moved to a historic farm in the village. They started making goat milk soap.
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They basically saved the town.
- They won The Amazing Race.
- They launched a massive lifestyle brand.
- They turned the Beekman 1802 Mercantile into a pilgrimage site.
Critics sometimes say they "Disney-fied" the place, but if you talk to the locals, they’ll tell you the village was literally falling down before Josh and Brent showed up. Now, people fly from Singapore just to buy a bar of soap on Main Street.
Where to Actually Spend Your Time
If you’re coming for a weekend, don't expect a frantic pace. This is a "sit on a porch with a gin and tonic" kind of town.
The heart of the village is The American Hotel. It was a total wreck—abandoned for 30 years—until Doug Plummer and Garth Roberts bought it for $18,000 in the 90s and spent years bringing it back to life. It recently changed hands in 2025 to new owners Michael Palaia and Marco Braeutigam, who are keeping the "old-world hospitality" vibe alive. The porch there is the prime spot for people-watching.
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Eat here:
- 204 Main Bistro: It’s farm-to-table without being pretentious about it. They use stuff from the surrounding Schoharie Valley, which is some of the most fertile farmland in the state.
- The Black Cat Café: This is the local hub. Great coffee, better baked goods, and zero corporate energy.
- Brimstone Bakery: If you want a pastry that tastes like it was made by a French grandmother who moved to the woods, go here.
Shop here:
- Cobbler & Co.: It’s a multi-room gift shop that occupies a historic building and sells everything from high-end toys to local pottery.
- McGillycuddy’s Natural Soap: Because you can never have enough local soap in a spa town.
Why 2026 is a Turning Point
There’s a shift happening right now. For a while, Sharon Springs was purely a summer destination. But with the Imperial Bathhouse project nearing its next major phase and the Klinkhart Hall Arts Center finally gaining momentum as a year-round cultural hub, the "off-season" is disappearing.
The Harvest Festival in September is still the king of events—drawing 15,000+ people—but the Victorian Christmas and the "Birthing of the Goats" in the spring are becoming huge draws.
The Real Truth About the "Healing" Vibe
Is the water actually magic? Probably not in a medical sense. But there’s something about the air here. It’s nestled in a valley that feels shielded from the rest of the world. There’s no cell service in half the village (fair warning), which forces you to actually look at the architecture and talk to the person next to you.
It’s a town built on the idea that things worth having are worth restoring. Whether it's a 200-year-old hotel or your own mental health, Sharon Springs is basically the capital of the "Slow Living" movement before that was even a hashtag.
Your Sharon Springs Game Plan
- Check the Calendar: Don't just show up on a Tuesday in November and expect everything to be open. Many businesses have seasonal hours. Plan for a Thursday–Sunday trip for the full experience.
- Book Ahead: The American Hotel only has nine rooms. If you want to stay there, you need to book months in advance, especially during the Harvest Fest.
- Drive the 20: Take the Scenic Byway. The views of the Mohawk Valley are worth the extra ten minutes.
- Embrace the Smell: When you walk past the spring temples in Chalybeate Park, it's going to smell like eggs. That's the sulphur. It’s the smell of history. Soak it in.