Journalism 1-Story 2

Historic Huguenot Street

Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz, NY is

open to the community for guided and interpreted

tours of the original neighborhood homes and church

from 1678. The society is dedicated to establishing a

connection between historic and present day New

Paltz.

Upon entering the grounds, visitors feel as though they have stepped back in time,

into a small community of the seven founding families of New Paltz, complete with

burning firewood, cobblestones, and colonial dress. As actors invite guests into their

homes, they are given a taste of what life was like in the late 1600s, from civilian feelings

about war and race, to the importance of religion on a day-to-day basis.

Thomas Weikel, director of strategy and historic interpretation on the site,

describes Historic Huguenot Street’s mission as, “An effort to preserve the homes,

artifacts, and documents, and use these

resources as a way to teach people the

local family history of New Paltz, but to

use that to teach American history as

well.”

The organization enriches Hudson

Valley Culture by providing a

connecting point to the history of New Paltz. Weikel said, “What the organization does is

connects the present to the past, and presents this history in a way that by the end of the

tour, we speak more on human nature than history. It is one of my goals to make it

relevant and to answer the question ‘so what?’ We are answering that annoying fourth

grade question, ‘why do I need to know this?’”

Weikel believes that learning through the families, such as the Hasbroucks’, is

easier than reading it through a textbook. “It is easy for tourists today to learn the history

of the French and Indian War through the eyes of the Hasbroucks,’ rather than the eyes of

George Washington. It is far more approachable and easier to understand the emotions

behind decisions.” The Hasbroucks’, one of the first of seven families of New Paltz, lived

in one of the homes still standing today, as well as one of the most popular attractions on

the site offers an example of what it was like for a family to live during the French and

Indian war.

Lia Shea-Tillet, a historic interpreter and actor for Huguenot Street, explains her

job at the landmark, guiding members through each of the houses. There are two types of

tours: guided tours and “in the moment” tours. Guided tours simply bring guests through

the homes, narrating what life had been like, while “in the moment” tours include actors

and actresses dressed in colonial clothing, acting as if they were a part of the founding

families. “It’s an experience where the guests can notice the differences and similarities

between social classes and explore their own opinions on whether historic landmarks

should be left the way they are or redone to explore and feel, in the moment, what it

would feel like.”

Shea-Tillet stated that Huguenot Street allows people to understand the history

and legacy of the families that first settled in New Paltz. “All of the town relates back to

the site of Huguenot Street. We receive a lot of funding from the ancestors of families

that first settled here, and we get more and more information as they come back to us

with new information and history.”

As for the community, Shea-Tillet says that the sense of community in New Paltz

today has a lot to do with these founding families, “The reason it is such a tight knit

community is because these families started it as such and it retained that.” SUNY New

Paltz is also directly involved with the organization, as history classes take trips to the

site. Breanne Pinto, a history major at SUNY New Paltz, highly recommends students to

visit. “I would definitely recommend the tour for anyone who is interested in history at

all, because there is a lot to learn, and overall a really great experience to have.” Weikel

encourages it as well, a graduate from SUNY New Paltz himself, with a degree in history.

Huguenot Street begins its fall season in August, up until November, with

“Haunted Huguenot Street” being one of its most popular events, inviting students,

children, and families to safely trick or treat and explore the grounds.

Tweets:

1. Historic Huguenot Street is open to its members to explore the homes of the

founding families of New Paltz, NY.

2. Haunted Huguenot Street will be an event for all ages—exploration of the

grounds with a ghoulish twist!

Blog Post:

Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz, NY is open to the community for guided

and interpreted tours of the original neighborhood homes and church from 1678. The

society is dedicated to establishing a connection between historic and present day New

Paltz. Thomas Weikel, director of strategy and historic interpretation on the site,

describes Historic Huguenot Street’s mission as, “An effort to preserve the homes,

artifacts, and documents, and use these resources as a way to teach people the local

family history of New Paltz, but to use that to teach American history as well.”

Lia Shea-Tillet, a historic interpreter and actor for Huguenot Street, explains what

her job is like at the landmark, guiding members through each of the houses. “Its an

experience where the guests can notice the differences and similarities between social

classes and explore their own opinions on whether historic landmarks should be left the

way they are or redone to explore and feel, in the moment, what it would feel like.”

Huguenot Street begins its fall season in August, up until November, with “Haunted

Huguenot Street” being one of its most popular events, inviting students, children, and

families to trick or treat and explore the grounds.