OverviewHamilton is a town on the southern edge of eastern Madison County, bordered to the north by Madison, to the east by Brookfield, to the south by Chenango County (town of Sherburne) and to the west by Lebanon. Hamilton is best known as home to Colgate University, a private, liberal-arts college established in 1819 with an enrollment of just under 3,000 students. The college adds a lively atmosphere to the town and its village (also named Hamilton). Part of the village of Earlville also is in the southwest corner of town; the rest is in Chenango County.
Hamilton has lots of attractions for residents and students, including a historic movie theater, a performing-arts center, an art gallery, a science center and planetarium and more. Hamilton has a hospital and other services not found in surrounding towns. There’s plenty of history here, too – the downtown business district is made up of several late-19th century buildings and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Local Museums & Landmarks
The Hamilton Village Historic District is made up of several late 19th-century buildings and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Also on the Register are Colgate University’s Old Biology Hall, the Adon Smith House, and the U.S. Post Office building. In the village of Earlville you’ll find the Earlville Opera House, a National Historic Landmark that was built in 1892, and Quincy Square Museum. The Hamilton Theater, built in 1895, still shows first-run movies. Colgate University has a number of other sites worth checking out. For sports fans, the International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum is nearby in Canastota. |