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Sharon, Connecticut: The Plain of Sharon in the Northwest Corner

Sharon, Connecticut

Pictures from Sharon

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Sharon clock tower Sharon Historic District Sharon Audubon Center

Sharon was incorporated in 1739 by the Connecticut General Assembly, named for the biblical Plain of Sharon, after the township's home lots were auctioned at New Haven in 1738 to fifty proprietors whose names survive in local place names like Calkinstown Road and Mudge Pond. Ironworking began here in 1740, when Joseph Skinner built a forge at Mudge Pond's outlet. In the early 1800s, resident Asahel Hotchkiss made rakes, buckles and currycombs from locally mined ore, and during the Civil War the town manufactured munitions including the Hotchkiss explosive shell; old iron stacks from the era still stand around town. Benjamin Berkeley Hotchkiss, the arms inventor, was brought to Sharon at age three in 1829, and John Cotton Smith, born in Sharon in 1765, served as Connecticut governor from 1812 to 1817. William F. Buckley Jr. made Sharon his home and founded Young Americans for Freedom on his family estate there in 1960.

  1. 8 miles of trails; visitor center and nature store currently closed.

  2. Free exhibitions and genealogy research on Main Street.

  3. A regional theater with roots to a 1920s play-reading group.

  4. The village's landmark library, open seven days a week.

  5. A French bistro outpost with an adjoining American-leaning bar.

  6. Breakfast and lunch on West Main Street.

  7. A country inn at the edge of the village, Sharon's one lodging option.

Iron forges and a governor

Sharon's iron era began in 1740 at Joseph Skinner's forge by Mudge Pond, and Asahel Hotchkiss's early-1800s ironware gave way to Civil War munitions manufacturing, including the Hotchkiss explosive shell for rifled guns — old iron stacks from the industry survive around town today. John Cotton Smith, born in Sharon in 1765, served as the last Federalist governor of Connecticut, from 1812 to 1817. William F. Buckley Jr., born in 1925, made Sharon his home and founded Young Americans for Freedom at his family's Sharon estate in September 1960, drafting what became known as the Sharon Statement.

Getting there

Sharon has no railroad station of its own and no Metro-North New Haven Line, Shore Line East, Amtrak or CTrail Hartford Line service reaches it. Most visitors arrive by car on state Routes 4, 41, 343 and 361, with US Route 7 running up the town's eastern edge along the Housatonic. The nearest rail is Metro-North's Harlem Line terminal at Wassaic, New York, in Dutchess County, just west across the state line.

An Audubon sanctuary and a summer theater

Sharon Audubon Center, founded in 1961 as part of Audubon Connecticut, offers 8 miles of trails open daily from sunrise to sunset, including the boardwalked Hendrickson Bog Meadow Trail — though the visitor center and nature store are currently closed. Sharon Playhouse traces to a 1920s play-reading group that became the Pitchfork Playhouse in 1947 and built its permanent Amenia Road home in 1955. Housatonic Meadows State Park, whose entrance sits at 90 US Route 7 on the Sharon side of the Sharon-Cornwall town line, offers riverside camping and catch-and-release fly fishing on the Housatonic.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Sharon?
By car — state Routes 4, 41, 343 and 361 serve the town, with US Route 7 running along its eastern edge. There's no passenger rail in Sharon; the nearest station is Metro-North's Harlem Line terminal at Wassaic, New York.
Is the Sharon Audubon Center open?
Its 8 miles of trails are open daily, sunrise to sunset, with a suggested $5 donation — but the visitor center and nature store are currently closed. Call (860) 364-0520 before planning around indoor access.
What is the Sharon Playhouse?
A nonprofit professional regional theater on Amenia Road tracing to a 1920s play-reading group; it became the Pitchfork Playhouse in 1947 and built its permanent home in 1955. Its 2026 season includes 42nd Street, Come From Away and Zombie Prom.
Is Housatonic Meadows State Park in Sharon or Cornwall?
Both — its entrance address, 90 US Route 7, sits on the Sharon side of the Sharon-Cornwall town line. The park offers riverside camping and a stretch of the Housatonic restricted to catch-and-release fly fishing.
Where can I eat and stay in Sharon?
Le Gamin serves French bistro fare on Gay Street, with J.P. Gifford Sharon Café for breakfast and lunch. The Sharon Country Inn, at the edge of the village, is the town's one verified lodging option.

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