Huguenot Street Historic District
Historic Huguenot Street | |
The Bevier-Elting House, left, and Dubois Fort, location of the Visitor Center at Historic Huguenot Street | |
| Location | New Paltz, New York |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Poughkeepsie |
| Coordinates | 41°45′00″N 74°05′21″W / 41.75000°N 74.08917°W |
| 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 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHLD | October 9, 1960 |
The Huguenot Street Historic District is located in New Paltz, New York, approximately 90 miles (140 km) north of New York City. The seven stone houses and several accompanying structures in the 10-acre National Landmark were likely built in the early 18th century by Huguenot settlers fleeing discrimination and religious persecution in France and what's now southern Belgium. After negotiating with the Esopus Indians, this small group of Huguenots settled on a flat rise on the banks of the Wallkill River in 1678. The settlers named the site in honor of Die Pfalz, the region of present-day Germany that had provided them temporary refuge before they came to America.
Archaeological finds indicate that the immediate area settled by the Huguenots was occupied by Native Americans prior to European contact. The site is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the United States.