The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) has awarded Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz a $2 million state Capital Project grant. The funding is part of a historic $82.2 million statewide arts infrastructure initiative by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The funding will directly support the construction of HHS’s proposed Education and Visitor Center. This investment will help alleviate structural stress on the National Historic Landmark District’s 300-year-old stone houses by transitioning administrative, educational, and visitor services into a new, purpose-built facility.
“New York’s powerful arts and culture sector is a formidable asset,” Gov. Hochul said. “Our continued investments in museums, theaters and art centers generate incredible returns — sparking innovation, boosting local economies, driving visitors and making us the global epicenter of arts and culture.”
State Sen. Michelle Hinchey, who represents a significant portion of the Hudson Valley, including New Paltz, cited what that area means to the college town.
“Historic Huguenot Street is a local treasure in New Paltz, recognized as one of the oldest continuously inhabited streets in America,” Hinchey said. “By preserving the architecture, cultures, and contributions of the many families who called it home across centuries, it offers a unique window into our region’s early history and serves as an important driver of tourism and local economic activity.”
She said she was proud to help champion the NYSCA grant at a meaningful moment as our country approaches its 250th anniversary.
Mike Oates, president and CEO of Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp., pointed out the history and tourist significance of Huguenot Street.
“This is a tremendous investment in both historic preservation and the Hudson Valley’s economy,” Oates said. “Historic Huguenot Street is one of our region’s most important cultural assets, attracting visitors from around the world while enriching the quality of life for our residents.”
For more than 130 years, Historic Huguenot Street has served as the historic soul of New Paltz. As one of the nation’s earliest preservation organizations, HHS stewards a complex history spanning from the ancestral lands of the Esopus Lenape to the arrival of Dutch and French colonists and the forced labor of enslaved Africans. Today, the site faces the critical 21st-century challenge of managing aging 18th-century infrastructure while expanding its capacity for modern, inclusive storytelling.
The new Education and Visitor Center is designed to resolve these modern museum standard challenges. By relocating daily operations away from the fragile historic masonry the center will allow the historic stone houses to be preserved strictly as delicate artifacts. The project has been rigorously planned to respect the district’s architectural integrity and is strategically located to avoid disturbing Indigenous archaeology.
The site has already received a formal determination of “No Adverse Impact” from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
With newly expanded parking and its location near to the Empire State Rail Trail, Historic Huguenot Street will be positioned as a leading Hudson Valley cultural destination. Ulster County Tourism believes that the Center will be an important stop for users of the Empire State Rail Trail.
“We are profoundly grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Council on the Arts for this transformative $2 million investment in the future of Historic Huguenot Street,” said Liselle LaFrance, president and CEO of Historic Huguenot Street.
HHS is working in close alignment with the local Planning Board, the Historic Preservation Commission, and neighbors to ensure the project meets community standards. Following extensive local and Village feedback, HHS successfully reduced the originally proposed building’s footprint by 28 percent, reduced parking capacity to protect the site’s “lawn aesthetic,” and integrated a landscape plan that yields a net increase in the tree canopy.
