| May 2001 | Page 2 |
| Huguenot Street Activities |
At the Jean Hasbrouck House the electrical service has been upgraded,
siding is being replaced on the south wall, gutters are being replaced and
the fireplace restored. |
he
Abraham Hasbrouck House, which is still in the midst of its extensive
restoration project. The new roof should be finished this month. The
drainage project and most of the inside work has been completed, but there
is still much to do, especially with respect to gutters, windows,
chimneys, lighting, and strengthening of the east wall. So no one is
predicting just yet when the house will be open for tours - possibly not
at all this season. But if you visit the Street, stop by to view the work
in progress. The new roof with 
its large shingles, for example, looks
startlingly different from the old, but it is more historically authentic.
One very surprising
discovery was made during the winter. When the covering material was
removed to reveal the joining of the north and central sections of the
house, it was apparent from the construction that the central section was
the original one. It had been assumed for many years that the north
section was built first. In addition, it appears that the central and
south sections were probably built at the same time.| HFA Office |
Our New Paltz office will continue to be open by appointment only until such time as visitor volume justifies arrangements for regular office hours. But if you are planning a visit to the area, leave a message on our answering machine or send us a fax or e-mail (see numbers on the masthead), and Meryl will contact you to arrange a visit where you can get information, look at our genealogy files and publications, and check our archives. (Warning: the archives are not well organized yet; they fell into disarray in being split up and moved several times after Kenneth's death.) If you are doing family research, you may also want to see what is available in the HHS Library. Call them (845-255-6738) to make an appointment.
Our office is just half a mile from Huguenot Street in the Pine Office Center at 124 Main Street. It's across the street from the Coastal gas station and far back from the street, but there is a sign at the driveway entrance, ample parking and handicapped access. In the same building is the New Paltz Chamber of Commerce, where you can get information and brochures on a wide range of attractions and accommodations in the area.
| Stone House Day |
Stone House Day has been renamed The Colonial Street Festival in New Paltz and will be held this year on Saturday, August 11 from 10AM to 6PM. (Admission fees vary from $10 for adults to nothing for young children.) The houses of Huguenot Street will be open to visitors, and there will be historical reenactments, period arts & crafts and dancing demonstrations, children's events, and live music including an appearance by folk-icon Pete Seeger, who is himself a Huguenot descendant. It's a great day of entertainment for the whole family, so be sure to mark it on your calendar. The festival is organized and run by volunteers from HHS and the family associations, and we need HFA members to help with this effort. If you can lend a hand for all or part of the day, please contact Eleanor Sears (845-338-6492) or the HFA office.