NEWS RELEASE: Historic Huguenot Street Plans Events for Path Through History Weekend, June 14-15

NEW PALTZ, NY (May 23, 2014) – Historic Huguenot Street will be hosting special programming the weekend of June 14-15 for New York State’s Path Through History Weekend. Over 100 special events are planned at venues through the state, designed to make it easy to experience New York State’s rich heritage and diverse attractions.

On Saturday, June 14, Historic Huguenot Street will be co-hosting a second annual Appraisal Day fundraiser with the Ulster County Historical Society at Deyo Hall (6 Broadhead Avenue, New Paltz) from 11 am to 3 pm. There will be several local appraisers in attendance, offering casual appraisals on collectibles, coins and silver, artwork, military items, and other treasures. Funds raised will directly support the continued preservation efforts of both Historic Huguenot Street and the Ulster County Historical Society.

On Saturday evening, professional genealogist Jane Wilcox will give a lecture entitled “Up the North River: An Overview of Pre-1800 Hudson Valley Ethnic Groups and Religions.” Wilcox is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and the New York Genealogical and Biographical (NYG&B) Society Education Committee, and hosts the radio program “The Forget-Me-Not Hour: Your Ancestors Want Their Stories to Be Told.” Presented by Historic Huguenot Street, Wilcox’s lecture will begin at 6 pm in the historic 1799 LeFevre House, followed by a catered cocktail reception in the DuBois Fort at 7 pm.

On Father’s Day, Sunday, June 15, Historic Huguenot Street will offer free admission to the site, including all historic house tours and exhibits. The public is encouraged to bring blankets and lunch and enjoy a picnic on the grounds.

Throughout the weekend – and appropriately on Flag Day – visitors will see the new “Flags Over Huguenot Street.” A number of diverse, historically significant flags have been strategically placed along the street as part of Historic Huguenot Street’s commitment to the authentic interpretation of its historic houses. Each interpreted house is now identified by a historically accurate flag representative of the time period in which the house is being interpreted. Flags displayed include the flag of Wallonia, the British union flag, the 17th century flag of the Dutch East India Company, the 18th century 13-star American flag, and the early 20th century 45-star American flag. Visitors are encouraged to share photos of the flags via social media with the hashtag #FlagsOverHuguenotStreet.

In conjunction with Path Through History Weekend, I LOVE NEW YORK’s social media channels will be highlighting various themes with photos, videos, event itineraries and more. Visitors are encouraged to use the hashtag #ISPYNY to join I LOVE NEW YORK on the journey down New York's Path Through History.

About Path Through History

Path Through History highlights historically and culturally significant sites and events throughout New York State. The program, introduced by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, builds on New York’s already robust heritage tourism attractions. The initiative is currently focused on 13 themes including: Arts & Culture, Natural History, U.S. Presidents, Women’s Rights, Canals & Transportation, Civil Rights, Colonial History, Immigration, Innovation & Commerce, The Revolution, Native Americans, Sports History and the War of 1812. Important heritage sites and events across the state were selected with input from leading historians. For more information, visit iloveny.com/Summer/Themes/Path-Through-History.aspx.

About Historic Huguenot Street

In 1678, a group of Huguenot families established a community in the Hudson Valley of New York in the hope of creating a home where they could worship as they chose. In 1894, their descendants formed what is now Historic Huguenot Street to protect their legacy in the buildings, objects, and stories they left behind. Today, the 10-acre National Historic Landmark District includes a Visitor Center, seven historic stone houses, a reconstructed 1717 Huguenot church, exhibit and program spaces, archaeological sites, and a burial ground that dates to the very first settlers. Huguenot Street also maintains an extensive archive that preserves early local history collections and family papers, along with a research library.

For more information and media requests, contact media@huguenotstreet.org.