Oneida County & Scenic Tour F
The Route 20 Scenic Byway has two communities in southern Oneida County: Bridgewater and Sangerfield. Just north of Sangerfield on Route 12 is the charming Village of Waterville, through which the Sangerfield River flows. Within Sangerfield is Tassle Hill, the highest point in Oneida County, climbing 1,942 feet. Elsewhere in Sangerfield is Nine-Mile Swamp, the historic home of the infamous Loomis Gang of the 19th century which terrorized Central New York.
Bridgewater is largely an agricultural community. It is the birthplace of Stephen Moulton Babcock, called the "Father of Scientific Dairying". Also in Bridgewater, the Western Star Lodge is the oldest Masonic Lodge in Oneida County, chartered in 1797, with such prominent signers of its charter as Robert Livingston, one of the five drafters of the Declaration of Independence. You'll also see large Victorian homes that are now bed and breakfasts, restaurants and antique stores. Just a bit north of Bridgewater on Route 8, on a six-acre private lake is the Lake Chalet Campground and motel, complete with a flowing brook and fishing. Chittning Pond, adjacent to Route 20 and four miles west of the Village of Bridgewater, has a state boat launch.
Route 20 Scenic Tour F - Just a mile away - Oneida County
It's a mile or so north off Route 20 -- take Route 12 north -- to visit Waterville, known as the Historic Hop Capital of the World and settled in 1792. It is the birthplace of George Eastman who founded the Eastman Kodak Company. And, it too is known for that notorious family of outlaws, The Loomis Gang. Visit the Village of Waterville's Historic Triangle District. The Waterville Hotel, built in the early 1800s, has always been a tavern and is currently operated as an English pub called The Red Lion. The Waterville Historical Society building was built in 1842. The society maintains a large collection of original hop equipment in the barn behind the main structure.
