The American Hotel was built circa 1847 and was the first building in Sharon Springs to be included in the National Register of Historic Places. In 1995, more than one hundred and fifty structures in the spa village were added to create the historic district. The hotel's original proprietor, Nicolas LaRue, created fishponds, gardens, and bicycle paths on the extensive grounds and was also one of the early explorers of Howe Caverns. The successors to N.M. LaRue and Sons, the LaRue Brothers, aimed to furnish superior accommodations at reasonable rates while providing a table abundantly supplied with delicacies fresh and in season. As the village's summer guest population dwindled during the last quarter of the 1900s, the hotel became severely dilapidated and neglected. In 1996, partners Doug Plummer and Garth Roberts purchased it and began its restoration; recently relocated to the village, they also opened a successful café in the Lehman Block upstreet and, active in the community, persuaded many of their city friends to purchase and restore buildings.