In the 1850's, Henry Moyer built the Sharon House on Main Street with wide porches and a variety of shops at street level. Later, under the proprietorship of B.P. Sharp & Son, it stood directly opposite the Springs and baths and was promoted as handsomely furnished throughout in birdeyes maple, curly birch, and quartered oak, with elegant decorations, while its livery was claimed to be one of the finest in the country, with horses and carriages equal to any city establishment. The Sharon Academy Theater on South Street was connected to the Sharon House by enclosed corridors. On November 21, 1936, a mysterious fire devastated the block and consumed thirteen buildings, including the Sharon House, its livery stables, the Academy Theater, Elgen's store, the telegraph office, a doctor's office, the Bee Hive curio shop, the Spring House, a residence, and numerous barns and ice houses. The fire was the worst in Sharon Springs' history and changed the face of Main Street forever. A few years later, the ninety room Columbia Hotel rose on the ashes, and at the corner of South and Center Streets its modern look featured a stucco exterior, a full front porch, and a large swimming pool, while Jewish dietary laws were strictly observed in its kosher kitchens.