| « Previous | Home | Next » | Imperial Baths, Sharon Springs, New York Sunday, August 06, 2006 |
 On my journey down US Route 20 a couple of week ago, one of my primary objectives was to visit the village of Sharon Springs. Much like more well known places (most notably Saratoga Springs), Sharon Springs was named for the natural phenomenon of a variety of mineral springs, which in the early 19th into the mid 20th century were widely believed to offer curative powers for a variety of ills, either by drinking the waters or bathing in them. The first spas developed in Sharon Springs were around 1840 or so. By the end of the nineteenth century, thanks in large part to convenient access via railroad, Sharon Springs was quite a thriving community with a number of large hotels, developed springs, and public baths. Unfortunately very little of the early grandeur survived a series of fires. Even this building, which houses one of the popular baths, was actually built in the early 20th century. I did take a taste of one of the springs (as I have done up at Saratoga several times) and found the sulphury tasting water to be less than refreshing. | |
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Posted by forgingahead Archived under: Architecture, Found Things, History |
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