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America's Oldest Street

By , About.com Guide

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Walk Through History on Huguenot Street in New Paltz, New York
Huguenot Street New Paltz New York Jean Hasbrouck House

The Jean Hasbrouck House was built in 1712.

© 2005 Kim Knox Beckius
With its six stone homes built before 1720, Huguenot Street in New Paltz, New York, has the distinction of being America's oldest street. Visitors are welcome to walk through history along this Colonial road, where a group of French Protestants known as the Huguenots settled in 1677 after fleeing France to escape religious and political persecution.

On this virtual photo tour, I'll show you some of the Huguenot homes that have endured through centuries. The photo above shows the Jean Hasbrouck House, built in 1712. It is now home to the Huguenot Historical Society, which maintains the historic Huguenot Street homes and offers tours daily except Wednesdays June through October and weekends in May, November and December.

While there is a fee for a guided, one-and-a-half-hour deluxe tour ($12 for adults, $11 for seniors and students and $5 for children ages 6-17 as of 2011) or a shorter, one-hour tour ($9 for adults, $8 for seniors and students and $3 for children ages 6-17 as of 2011), visitors may stroll along Huguenot Street free year-round.

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