Huguenot Street is one of the oldest continuously inhabited streets in the United States, and the cluster of stone houses that line it is genuinely remarkable. Six of the original stone dwellings survive from the late 17th and early 18th centuries, built by the French Huguenot families who founded New Paltz in 1678: the DuBois, Bevier, Deyo, Freer, LeFevre, and Hasbrouck families, whose descendants still have a strong presence in the valley.
The houses are maintained by Historic Huguenot Street, which runs guided tours from May through October. Visiting on a tour is strongly recommended — without context, the low stone buildings can look like anonymous old farmhouses. With it, you begin to understand the particular social world these settlers created: the way they blended Dutch building techniques with local limestone, the Reformed Church that was the center of their community, the complex relationships with Native neighbors and enslaved people. The Jean Hasbrouck House and the Abraham Hasbrouck House are both open to visitors and offer the most intimate look at 18th-century domestic life in the region.