Sharon is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
in
Schoharie County
Schoharie County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,714, making it the state's fifth-least populous county. The county seat is Schoharie. "Schoharie" comes from a Mohawk word meaning "f ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, United States. The population was 1,843 at the 2000 census. The town is named after a location in
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
, whence some early settlers came.
The Town of Sharon is in the northwestern corner of the county and is southwest of
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
.
History
The town was first settled around 1780. It was called "New Dorlach" from a location in Germany known to the early settlers while still in Otsego County.
In 1781 during the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
, a battle, the Battle of Sharon, was fought in the town between small contingents of Colonial forces and Tories.
Sharon was created in 1797 from the
Town of Schoharie during the early organization of Schoharie County.
[
]
The opening of the
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...
in 1825 reduced road traffic on a major east-west turnpike through the town, leading to the decline of several early communities.
Sharon Springs set itself apart from the Town of Sharon in 1871 by incorporating as a village, and absorbed the neighboring community of Rockville during this process.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (0.23%) is water.
The northern town line is the border of
Montgomery County and the western town boundary is the border of
Otsego County.
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...
is an east-west highway in the town.
New York State Route 10
New York State Route 10 (NY 10) is a north–south state highway in the Central New York and North Country regions of New York in the United States. It extends for from the Quickway ( NY 17) (Future Interstate 86) in Deposit, ...
, a north-south highway, intersects US-20 in Sharon Springs.
New York State Route 145
New York State Route 145 (NY 145) is a state highway in eastern New York in the United States. The highway extends for from NY 23 in the Greene County town of Cairo to U.S. Route 20 (US 20) in the Schoharie County town ...
has its northern terminus at US-20 in Sharon hamlet.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 1,843 people, 678 households, and 484 families residing in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 47.2 people per square mile (18.2/km
2). There were 838 housing units at an average density of 21.4 per square mile (8.3/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.21%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.60%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.16%
Native American, 0.11%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.16% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.76% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.25% of the population.
There were 678 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,413, and the median income for a family was $40,417. Males had a median income of $31,167 versus $25,972 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $18,639. About 10.8% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 20.8% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Sharon
*Argusville – A
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
northeast of Sharon village, located on County Roads 5A and 5B.
*Beekman Corners – A location by the southern town line at County Road 5 and NY-10. It was one of the prominent communities in the early history of Sharon. The
St. John's Lutheran Church is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
*Engleville-- A location in the southwestern corner of the town, earlier "Engles Mills."
*Engleville Pond – A small lake north of Engleville.
*Gilbert Corners – A hamlet in the northeastern part of the town on County Road 34.
*Leesville – A location west of Sharon Springs, located on US-20. It was formerly a major business center in the town.
*Rockville – A former hamlet, now part of Sharon Springs.
*
Sharon Springs – The Village of Sharon Springs is on NY-10, north of its intersection with US-20 in the western part of the town.
*Sharon – A hamlet near the eastern town line at the junction of routes US-20 and NY-145. It was once called "Moaks Hollow."
*Sharon Airport (K31) – A general aviation, turf-runway
airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...
near Sharon Center.
*Sharon Center – A hamlet southeast of Sharon Springs located at the junction of US-20 and County Road 34.
*Staleyville – A location north of Sharon Springs on NY-10.
References
External links
Town of Sharon, NY
{{authority control
Towns in Schoharie County, New York