Historic Huguenot Street
Huguenot Street in the Past
eNews from the Street
       September 4, 2009
The French Church @ Historic Huguenot StreetThis Weekend @ HHS

We kick off the Labor Day Weekend with "The Churches of Huguenot Street," a talk and tour led by William B. Rhoads, retired professor of art history at the State University of New York at New Paltz and author of "The Architectural History of the Reformed Church, New Paltz, New York."  Professor Rhoads' tour begins Saturday, 10am at the DuBois Fort Visitor Center.  $12 per person.  $10 for Friends of Huguenot Street.

 
On Sunday, Wickets and Wine returns.  From 4 to 6pm, we'll enjoy a rousing game of croquet on the lawn of the Deyo House, which is shaded by tall maples and pines.  Noshes, wine and lemonade will be served.  All skill levels welcome.  $10 per person.  $8 for Friends of Huguenot Street.
 
The DuBois Fort Visitor Center is open 10:30 to 5 all three days of the holiday weekend -- including Monday.  Guided tours of the street and the houses will be offered at 11, 12:30, 2, 3:30 and 4 each day.  For more information, call 845.255.1889 or visit our calendar of events. 
Upcoming Events
Deyo House Getting Some TLC 
Scraping the Abraham Hasbrouck HouseThe Deyo House, the grand lady of Historic Huguenot Street, is getting some TLC.  The Historic Preservation Team is taking advantage of the break in this season's copious rains to begin work on the facade of the house, addressing peeling paint.  In addition to scraping and painting, exploratory work is also being conducted in the porte cochere.  The drainage system that is supposed to move rainwater and snow melt from the sleeping porch balcony to the ground below the porte cochere is not working properly.  This has resulted in damage to the surrounding wood. Repairs to the drainage system and damaged wood are planned. 
Upcoming Events
Septemberfest:  Culture on the Street 
 
September is a month of culture at HHS.  Second Saturdays, our monthly lecture series, will feature Peter Kenny, who will give us the "behind the scenes" staff perspective on the renewal and reopening of American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Music on Street returns with a performance by Anima Baroque in the French Church on Sunday, 9/13 at 4pm. 
 
On Saturday, 9/19, the New Paltz Art Loop will return.  The galleries in the DuBois Fort Visitor Center will be open until 8pm.  Also on 9/19, we will host a "Meet the Artists" Reception for photographer Tim Davis, whose "Seeing Through History" exhibit is currently hanging in the Fort.
 
We'll end the month with Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day on 9/26, with two special tours that weekend.
 
For more information about any of these programs, visit our calendar of events.

Upcoming Events
Locust Lawn FurnitureExperts Host Special Locust Lawn Workshops; A Rare Glimpse Into Special Collections
This month, the doors of Locust Lawn will be open for two special workshops.  On Sunday, September 13th from 12 to 2pm, Sanford Levy, owner of Jenkinstown Antiques, will offer "The Furnishings of Locust Lawn,"  an in-depth talk and tour about the impressive collection of 19th century furnishings in the 1814 manse.  This will be followed up with "The Other Day We Dressed Up to Kill:  The Clothing of Locust Lawn" on Locust Lawn Godey'sSaturday, September 26th from 4 to 6pm.  HHS Archives Specialist Susan Stessin-Cohn and Collections Assistant Ashley Hurlburt will guide guests through the closets and wardrobes of Locust Lawn, which house over 500 items of clothing.  Both workshops are limited to 20 guests.  Each workshop is $20.  Those who register for both or who are Friends of Huguenot Street receive a discount.  Register online using the links below or call 845.255.1660, ext. 300.
 
 
Late Breaking News:  Locust Lawn Open for Tour This Sunday at 2pm

Locust Lawn is a treasure open to the public on a limited basis.  The site, which is just a short drive from Historic Huguenot Street, was once the center of a thriving Gentleman's Farm.  What remains today is the striking Josiah Hasbrouck House filled with three generations of furnishings from this prosperous Huguenot family and the rusticTerwilliger House, built by an earlier Dutch family.  Due to a last-minute request, we will open the site for a tour this Sunday at 2pm.  Tours are $8 per person.  Friends of Huguenot Street are free.  Locust Lawn is located at 400 Route 32 South, 3.5 miles south of the village of New Paltz.  For more information, call the HHS Visitor Center at 845.255.1889.
Museum Shop Spotlight:  Island at the Center of the World Offers Great Stories and Early New York History

Island at the Center of the World
Author Russell Shorto has created a rare treat in his book The Island at the Center of the World, and we're fortunate to have his book at the Museum Shop.  Shorto has created an epic, eye-opening book inspiring a new understanding of America based on the Dutch foundations of New Amsterdam. A must-read for those with even a casual interest in colonial history.  Click on book cover above to order your book for $15.95 or call 845.255.1889 to place your order with the Museum Shop. 


Upcoming Events
About the Image At Top
The image in the header of today's eNews is taken from a hand-colored postcard of what today is called Huguenot Street (the postcard says simply, "A Colonial Street."  This photograph was likely taken in the first years of the 20th century.  A large plaque hangs next to the door of the Jean Hasbrouck House, indicating that this was probably taken after the house was opened as a museum in 1899.  The monument which now fills the triangle in front of the Jean House is, in this photo, home only to a fire hydrant, which means that the photo predates the monument's installation.  This dates to the photo to no later than 1908.