Those Places Thursday: Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz

We finally made it up here! This is the first year … oh gosh probably since our honeymoon … that we have been able to get away and have a real family vacation. On top of that we finally made it to New Paltz, New York where the Deyo family was one of the original patentees!

Oh, I should back up … my husband is descended from the Deyoe family of New York. Now all this time, I have been thinking he has actually been listening to me when I talk about the Deyo/Deyoe line. I lost count of the times he began a sentence with “Oh my gosh my family …”

My goal while we were up there was to connect the famous Deyo line with his Deyoe line. I have a probable connection. I just really wanted proof. One way or the other. Just proof.

Sunday we went to the free Family Day at the Historic Huguenot Street. Basically the HHS is a street – literally – where the original patentees of the town built their homes and settled. Today it is a historic site consisting of seven homes. The homes date back to 1677. Historic interpreters are onsite to provide tours through the area.

The buildings include the LeFevre House, the Crispell Memorial French Church (the plague read Walloon Church), the Jean Hasbrouck House, the Deyo House, the DuBois Visitor center and Museum Shop. Other buildings include the Bevier-Elting House, the Schoonmaker Library, the New Paltz Reformed Church, the Abraham Hasbrouck House and the Freer House. There is also a Deyo Hall.

The Huguenots were a group of families who fled from northern France, located near Calais, and what is now southern Belgium. They were fleeing the Wars of Religion in France between Catholics and the Huguenots. They first found safety in die Pfalz, which was an area – a Protestant region – near what is now known as southwest

Germany

Louis DuBois and Abraham Hasbroucck purchased land from the Esopus Indian tribes. The 12 founding families had settled along the banks of the Wallkill River and established the village of New Paltz in 1678.

The Schoonmaker Library is said to contain the history and genealogy of the early settlers. Sadly, I did not get a chance to explore the library on this trip. I am actually quite impressed I was able to hold my girls’ (16 year old twins) interest as long as I did.

The Historic Huguenot Street is a National Historic Landmark District

Those Places Thursday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.

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