The Area

Worcester, is a rural area in Otsego County in the northwestern foothills of the Catskill Mountains in New York State. It is located about 30 minutes from Cooperstown and approximately 65 miles southwest of Albany. This historic home is ten minutes from the town of Worcester. It is also close the borders of Delaware County and Schoharie County. Like most of Upstate New York, this area was settled and developed as a farming community, but during a period of great prosperity between 1840 and 1880 some remarkable building occurred. Some of the surviving architecture, like this home, are standing evidence of that period. There is a mix of Greek Revival, Federal, Victorian and Italianate style architecture, among the other more modest wood frame
Thomas Cole. Oil on canvas, 1825

farmhouses, saltboxes and post & beam barns. One can drive along the quiet country roads and see fine examples of these styles as well as get the sense of the rugged wilderness in which people forged these communities and carved out a livelihood.

These rolling hills are wooded with both young and mature forest, with some wetlands some of which is divided by old stone walls. Trees, wild shrubs and vines include white pine, hemlock, birch, wild cherry, oak, ash, maple, and colorful service berry, woodbine and wild grape. Bird and animal life is equally rich with a wide range of song birds, Night herons, Great Blue Heron, several duck species, Canada Geese, ravens, various hawks and falcons. There is abundant wildlife everywhere for hunters, or for those who like to merely enjoy spotting animals they rarely see in more populated areas. It is an ideal location for bird identification.

In the East Worcester-Decatur area, is the East Worcester Fish N' Game Club. It is known to locals as "The Lake". There is great fishing in the lake. Also the club holds many functions such as fishing derbies, cook outs, clam bakes, and dances.

There are plenty of areas for cross country skiing and snowshoeing as well as for horseback riding and snowmobiles.

In the town there are several antique shops, places of worship and a public library. A short drive away is Cooperstown, Oneonta, and Cobleskill, NY. In Cooperstown one can visit Fenimore Art Museum, Glimmerglass Opera, as well as the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Nearby Sharon Springs is charming historic town with some interesting assets. One of them is the Adelphi Paper Hangings, makers of custom and historic wallpaper. Another is the Black Cat Cafe, where you can get delicious, wholesome food and fresh baked goods.

One of the top schools for the culinary arts is in nearby SUNY Middleburgh and SUNY Schenectady, where they offer programs in the hospitality field: culinary arts, hotel and restaurant management, tourism and hospitality management, assistant chef and tourism, sales and convention management.

Not far away is famous, Cherry Valley, a long-time center for Beat writers like Allen Ginsberg, Charles Plymell and Roxi Powell. Interestingly, Cherry Valley is known to have more poets per capita than any other place in the country.

This is an area where one can find peace and serenity and plenty of open space. There are not only families that have lived here for generations, but one can also be surprised to find other interesting people in this rural setting who have decided to find a refuge from the big cities. There are quite a few artists, writers, people from the film industry, and retired professionals, as well as young families seeking a better quality of life.

Having the Albany County Airport (ALB) only 50 minutes away makes traveling great distances and returning home a pleasure. The Albany County Airport has a world class Art Gallery with regular changing exhibitions, which are always worth seeing.

 

Useful links:

Cherry Valley, New York - A Landmark Village
Fenimore Art Museum
The Farmers' Mueum
Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce
Glimmerglass Opera
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Black Cat Cafe
Adelphi Paper Hangings