Untitled Article #451

Sharon Historical

By Matthew Avitabile

SHARON SPRINGS — The Sharon Springs Historical Society gave a positive grant report to community benefactor Nick Juried recently. The Nicholas J. Juried Family Foundation offered the support needed to recreate a historic village in downtown Sharon Springs.

The effort is going very well, said Society President Ron Ketelsen.

The project included the purchase of a number of former vacation cottages at 236 Main Street to create the historical village. The program will feature a number of major improvements, including restoring the heritage of the community. The Sharon Springs hosted Presidents Martin Van Buren, Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin Roosevelt, as well as the Vanderbilt and Van Rennselaer families. Furthermore, the community also had famous visitors such as Charles Dickens, James Fenimore Cooper, and Oscar Wilde. The effort of Mr. Juried allowed for the purchase, including the purchase of property, and opened the door for further development. 

I hope this email finds you well!  I wanted to give you an update on our project.  We are moving full speed ahead - made possible by your generous contribution!!!  Thank you again!

The Historical Society signed a contract for the nearby Ganz House this month and the possession date is set for June 1.

The sign in front of the project is nearly completed and will be mounted on white posts. Ketelsen said that it would gain a “LOT of attention.”

He said that visitors already stop by “on a regular basis to ask what is going on.”

White scalloped fences and gardens are planned for the future.

Ketelsen said that the Society is “moving right along with the Village.”

He said that “The General Store, Post Office, Carriage House, and Doctor's Office are almost completed.  They just need some final painting and a few other things added.  Today, we started on the Dress/Millinery and Print Shops.  (Photo attached)  You can also see some photos in the attached newsletter.  The electric and water lines for the lion head fountain will be installed this weekend.  The new sidewalk in the front will be poured in about 2 weeks.”

He credited the help of “four local guys working with me on the project.”

“They are amazing!  Two of the guys work every other week and two of the guys work every week. One of the guys is an amazing carpenter and is my lead guy.  I just tell him what I want done and he does it.  Today, we started on the fourth building and it had to be jacked up 6 inches because it was so uneven.  No problem for these guys!  They had it done by the end of the day.”

Ketelsen said that the entire project was thanks to the effort of all involved, especially Mr. Juried.

The Society President hopes that the project will be done “by late summer.”

“At the rate we are moving, I think that is possible.”

“We again thank you for sharing our vision and recognizing that it is all possible!  We are so thrilled with the progress and can't wait to show off the finished project!”

For more info or to assist, contact the Sharon Historical Society, PO Box 363, Sharon Springs The Society said that it is also looking for items of the date, including store tins or other items typically found in a general store, doctor's office, or a barbershop. Call Ron Ketelsen for more information at 518-860-5513.