Browse Exhibits (27 total)

Presented by Historic Huguenot Street, this exhibit highlights a sampling of the dozens of such textiles in the Permanent Collection all of which were produced locally in Ulster, Dutchess, and Orange county. Through their actual woven patterns (symbols and texts) and through related records and tools, these coverlets carry clear connections to the local families that purchased and used them.

Jacob Wynkoop “never was a slave” as his forebears had been.[1] He was born in the rural community of New Paltz, New York, in 1829, two years after slavery was legally abolished in the state. Jacob had an exceptional and varied life for any man of his time, black or white. Among the first African Americans to buy land in the community, he also served in the Union Army during the Civil War, organized politically on behalf of black citizens in town, and built a series of homes that today still define a neighborhood in the village of New Paltz. Unlike countless other Africans and African Americans from the dawn of European colonization through the 19^th century and beyond, Jacob’s story is fairly well documented in the historical record.

This exhibit was curated by Josephine Bloodgood, Director of Curatorial and Preservation Affairs, Historic Huguenot Street.

Ruth Lynda Deyo was a pianist, composer, intellectual, international traveler, lecturer, and artist drawn to mysticism and the occult. This exhibit highlights Historic Huguenot Street’s Ruth Lynda Deyo collection, comprising nine items ranging from 1904 to 1937.

Using photographs, letters and other archival materials, this exhibit tells the story of a talented and energetic family whose history goes back to the earliest days of settlement in New Paltz. It offers viewers a glimpse of the family’s personal documents, clothing, artwork, handiwork, and much more. These personal and documented possessions belonged to real people who lived locally, and are treasures that tell us the story of a mid-19th century Hudson Valley family.

Between 1936 and 1952, a massive engineering project took place in order to provide New York City and surrounding localities with additional drinking water. The purpose of this exhibit is to raise public awareness concerning the impact that the Rondout Reservoir had on the displaced communities of the Lackawack Valley. It is hoped that it will provide an appreciation for the pure water we may otherwise take for granted. The exhibit draws from extensive primary source documentation contained in the collections of Ellenville Public Library & Museum.