Springwater, NY

Springwater is a Livingston County hamlet and census-designated place in western New York, set in a valley where Springwater Creek runs north toward Hemlock Lake. New York Routes 15 and 15A meet in the hamlet, linking the town center with Wayland, Conesus, and the lake country. Farms, wooded slopes, and small streams fill the surrounding valley, while the southern end of Hemlock Lake sits just north. The town was organized in 1816 after settlers had begun arriving around the valley; the name Springwater came from the many springs noted by early residents.

A railroad once gave the hamlet another connection. The Erie line through Springwater opened in 1853, serving the route between Painted Post and Avon, and the tracks remained until 1956. The Springwater-Webster Crossing Historical Society now keeps that local history visible at its museum on Route 15. State Route 15A also carries the name Springwater Veterans Memorial Highway, honoring veterans from the area. The place's shape is easy to read: a road junction in the valley, a creek leading to Hemlock Lake, and rural hamlets spread across the hills.