Town of the Week: Neversink

  |  February 25, 2013

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Sandwiched between the Neversink Reservoir and the Rondout Reservoir, the town of Neversink in northeastern Sullivan County is bisected by the Neversink River and bordered by the Catskill Mountains to the north.  Neversink is the second oldest town in Sullivan County consists of a number of hamlets, both incorporated and otherwise, including Grahamsville, Claryville, Willowemac, and Unionville. And, since 1935, Neversink has embraced prohibition by making it illegal to sell alcohol within town limits.

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Neversink along the Neversink River

Back in the days when the Neversink and Rondout Reservoirs were being constructed to provide drinking water to NYC, the old town of Neversink was submerged, along with Bittersweet, Lackawack, Eureka, and Montela. It’s a tantalizing (albeit slightly dark) prospect, the thought of drowned towns existing beneath the icy-cold waters of upstate New York reservoirs. There are grand total of 24 towns that were sacrificed for the reservoirs, and you can learn a bit more about this piece of New York’s history on this website.

Neversink is a Catskill Mountain town through and through, surrounded by natural beauty and not much else. Folks venturing into this neck of the woods are looking for the peace and tranquility of the unspoiled watershed, and the opportunity to co-exist with it. This is part of what makes the area attractive to some but too remote for others.

neversink ny

Denman Mountain provides the backdrop to Route 55 in Neversink

Upon entering its borders, you’ll notice that Neversink’s sign boasts that it’s home to both “the Littlest World’s Fair and the Giant Pumpkin Party”, two points of pride for the Sullivan County town. Sponsored by the Neversink Agricultural Society, the Littlest World’s Fair happens every year in August and features 4H exhibits and crafts. The Giant Pumpkin Party occurs at the Daniel Pierce Library in Grahamsville in October and offers fun of the family-oriented variety. The area is no slouch when it comes to food: Grahamsville is home to the Eureka Market and Cafe, where you can get everything from an egg sandwich and cup of coffee to groceries delivered straight to your door.

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One of the many quilt squares adorning barns in Neversink

The housing market seems to have a healthy supply of interesting and promising options, particularly in Grahamsville, Claryville, and Unionville. This week, we’ll look at properties in all three. Expect to see farmhouses, cottages, barns, A-frames, new construction, and water front houses if you search the area. Suffice it to say, we were not disappointed in either the variety or the picturesque surroundings.

 

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Grahamsville, NY

Neversink is located approximately an hour from the city of Kingston and less than two hours from NYC. Oh, and of course, BYOB when you go.

Town of Neversink Official Website.

neversink capture

GMAP

About Kandy Harris

Kandy is a writer and musician/music teacher living in Saugerties, NY.

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