The Huguenots were the earliest European settlers of New Paltz in the late 17th century, homelands for millennia of the Indigenous Munsee-speaking Lenape. As later generations spread out in the valleys west of the Hudson River, they contributed to the agricultural and industrial prosperity of the region by use of enslaved labor, building homes that resonate today. This talk will explore the stories and houses of several 18th- and 19th-century descendants of the Patentee families of New Paltz: LeFevre (Kettleborough), DuBois (Marlboro), Hasbrouck (Bonticou), Deyo (Libertyville), and Freer (Eddyville).  

Vals Osborne is the vice-chair of Historic Huguenot Street and Editor of the new publication, Legacies on the Land: Historic Houses, Hamlets, and Landscapes of Southern Ulster County, based on WVLTs decade of popular house tours in ten communities. Her career in New York City ranged from art gallerist to director of education at Young President’s Organization and Sotheby’s, as well as real estate broker specializing in 19th-century townhouses. Since 2014 she has focused on her lifelong passions for historic preservation and land conservation as chair of the historic house tours.

This program will be presented entirely online via a link provided after registration.

This program will be recorded, and access to the recording will be provided to registrants the following day.

$8 General Admission

$5 Discounted Admission for seniors, students, active military personnel and their families, and veterans

FREE for HHS members

To purchase “Legacies on the Land: Historic Houses, Hamlets, and Landscapes of Southern Ulster County,” edited by Vals Osborne, you may do so by visiting HHS’s online Museum Shop or clicking here.

This program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.