Huguenot Street Historic District facts for kids
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Historic Huguenot Street
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The Bevier-Elting House, left, and Dubois Fort, location of the Visitor Center at Historic Huguenot Street
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | New Paltz, New York |
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| Nearest city | Poughkeepsie |
| Area | 10 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Built | Founded 1678. Houses date to ca1705. |
| Architectural style | Dutch-style colonial; Georgian. |
| Visitation | 16,500 (2007) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000578 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHLD | October 9, 1960 |
Historic Huguenot Street is a special place in New Paltz, New York. It's about 90 miles (145 km) north of New York City. This historic area has seven old stone houses and other buildings. They were built in the early 1700s by Huguenot settlers. These settlers were people who came from France and what is now southern Belgium. They were looking for a safe place because they faced unfair treatment and religious difficulties in their home countries.
In 1678, this small group of Huguenots made a deal with the Esopus Indians. They settled on a flat area near the Wallkill River. They named their new home after Die Pfalz, a region in Germany that had given them temporary safety. This site is one of the oldest places in the United States where people have lived continuously.
The house museums on Historic Huguenot Street are still in their original village setting. This street became part of the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1960. Besides the houses, the 10-acre site includes an old burying ground from the early 1700s. There's also a rebuilt stone church from 1717, a visitor center, and a library.
Historic Huguenot Street is managed by an organization founded in 1894. In 1899, they bought the Jean Hasbrouck house. It was the first house museum on the street. Later, in the 1950s and 60s, more stone houses were bought. They were opened as museums. Many descendants of the original Huguenot families helped pay for these purchases. These families still support the site today. Since the 1980s, the organization has offered educational programs for visitors.
Contents
Exploring the Historic Houses
Historic Huguenot Street has many old houses. Each one tells a unique story about the people who lived there.
The Bevier-Elting House
This house was built in the early 1700s. It started as a single room with the narrow side facing the street. This was a common style in Northern Europe back then. Later, two more parts were added. There was also a small cellar. This cellar was used to house enslaved African people. The Bevier family, one of the first families, built this house. It was later sold to the Dutch Elting family.
The Abraham Hasbrouck House
The Abraham Hasbrouck House was built in three stages during the 1720s and 1730s. The first room was built in 1721 by Daniel Hasbrouck. He was the son of Abraham Hasbrouck, one of the original settlers. We know the date 1721 from dendrochronology. This is a way to date wooden parts of a building.
This house shows a new way of building in the Dutch style in America. Early Dutch houses in places like New Amsterdam (now New York City) had gable-ends facing the street. This saved space. This house has a special design with "H-bents." These spread the house's weight evenly. A key feature of Dutch architecture here is the "jambless fireplace." This house was reopened in 2012. It now focuses on the life of Widow Wyntje.
The Jean Hasbrouck House
This house was also built in 1721 by Jean's son, Jacob. It's a great example of Dutch architecture from the Hudson Valley. It's considered a highlight of Historic Huguenot Street. This house has the only original jambless fireplace left among the Huguenot Street houses. It's one of the few still existing from the time of New Netherland.
In 2006, the north wall of the house was carefully taken apart and rebuilt. New Dutch-style windows were put in. The inside was also restored. Now, the house shows how a comfortable family lived in the mid-1700s.
The DuBois Fort
The DuBois Fort was built around 1705 for the DuBois family. Some people think it might have been used as a safe place for the community if needed. It was originally a smaller building. It was made bigger in the late 1830s. Some historians thought it had "gun ports" and was a fort. However, there is no proof of these until the 1800s.
Today, the DuBois Fort is the visitor center and gift shop. You can buy tickets and memberships here. It's also used for special events. Over the last 300 years, it has been a home and even a restaurant.
The Freer House
The Freer House is one of the six stone houses from the 1700s owned by Historic Huguenot Street. It was changed many times over its 250 years. The biggest changes happened in 1943. That's when Rev. John Wright Follette bought it. He was a direct descendant of Hugo Freer, who first built the house. Over time, the inside was updated to look like a 20th-century idea of a colonial home. This house is not open to the public right now.
The Deyo House
The first part of the Deyo House was built around 1720 by Pierre Deyo. It started as one room. Then it grew to two rooms, and finally to three. Pierre's grandson, Abraham, added a stone section to the back.
Things changed a lot for this house in 1894. Two descendants, Abraham and Gertrude Brodhead, inherited it. They wanted to live on their ancestors' street. But they also wanted a modern, fancy home. So, they partly took down the old stone house. Then they built a grand Queen Anne style home around it. They also made their property into a beautiful mini-estate. The house was sold out of the Deyo family in 1915. It was a private home until 1971. Then, the Deyo Family Association bought it. They donated it to be a house museum. The house was last restored in 2003. It shows how homes looked around 1915.
The Crispell Memorial French Church
Since New Paltz was founded, four churches have been built on Huguenot Street. The French Protestants built their first church in 1683. It was a simple log building. In 1717, a square stone building replaced it. This showed the settlement was becoming permanent. The building you see in the burying ground today is a reconstruction of that 1717 church.
As New Paltz grew, a bigger church was needed. A second stone church was built in 1772. When it became too small, it was taken down. A third church was built in 1839. This church is still used today by an active Reformed community.
The reconstructed church is named after Antoine Crispell. He was one of the twelve founders of New Paltz. It was built in 1972. The 1717 church was designed to show Reform ideas. The pulpit was in the center. The seats were placed so everyone could see and hear equally. This showed that each person had a direct connection with God.
The LeFevre House
The LeFevre House was built in 1799 by Ezekiel Elting. He was a successful merchant born in the Bevier-Elting House. This stone and brick building looks very different from the earlier stone houses. Its Georgian-style architecture shows how New Paltz was changing. It was becoming more Anglo-American, moving away from its French and Dutch roots. This house shows how building styles and home life changed in the early 1800s.
Other Important Buildings
- Deyo Hall: This building used to be a glass factory. Now, it's used for events and meetings. It also has public restrooms and storage for collections.
- Roosa House Library and Archives: Located in the Roosa House, this is a research center. It focuses on the history and family trees of the Huguenot and Dutch settlers in the Hudson Valley. It also keeps records of local history. You can find family histories, church records, wills, and more here. Researchers can visit by appointment. The colorful paint on the building matches its original colors from 1891.
Native American History
Historians and archeologists are learning more about the relationship between the Esopus people and the Huguenots. The Esopus were the first people to live in this area. You can find some research results online about their relationship. The "Before Hudson" exhibit at the DuBois Fort Visitor Center shows amazing finds from archaeological digs. Some artifacts found here are 6,000 to 8,000 years old!
Slavery in New Paltz
The history of slavery in New Paltz began in 1674. This was three years before the town was founded. At that time, Louis DuBois bought two enslaved African people. They were bought at a public sale in Kingston. These two people later ran away. They were captured by Lewis Morris of Barbados. From 1675 to 1680, Morris and DuBois argued over who owned the two enslaved people.
Settlers continued to buy enslaved people to work in New Paltz. This helped the settlement grow. The Deyo family bought enslaved people in 1680 and 1694. For the next 125 years, records show enslaved people living in the settlement. In 1703, nine out of 130 residents were enslaved. Jean and Jacob Hasbrouck owned several enslaved people. Their names, "Gerritt," "James," and "Molly," were in Jean's will.
By 1755, slavery was a common part of the New Paltz community. A census from that year listed 28 slave holders. They owned a total of 78 enslaved people over 14 years old. Most slave holders (82%) owned one to four enslaved people. They used them as house servants and farm workers.
The total population of New Paltz grew quickly. By 1790, it reached 2,309 people. At that time, 77 slave holders owned 302 enslaved people. This was about 13% of the population. You can find more information about slavery in New Paltz online. There is also an online exhibit called The Missing Chapter: Untold Stories of the African-American Presence in the Mid-Hudson Valley.
See also
- Major Jacob Hasbrouck Jr. House, a home built by Jean Hasbrouck's grandson, located further up Huguenot Street.
Images for kids
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The Bevier-Elting House, left, and Dubois Fort, location of the Visitor Center at Historic Huguenot Street
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Bevier-Elting House
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The Abraham (Daniel) Hasbrouck House
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The Jean Hasbrouck House
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Louis DuBois House (aka the DuBois Fort) built 1705. Pictured circa 1900.
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Deyo House (circa 1720) with large nineteenth century addition
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Reconstructed French Reformed Church of 1717, and burying ground
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Current (1839) church building used by the Reformed congregation founded in 1678
