Creation

The Huguenots came to what we now know as New Paltz with nothing but hope and ambition to start their new lives. In 1677 they began developing New Paltz into what we know it as today (Home). The seven prominent families who are credited for developing New Paltz such as the Hasbrouck family purchased 40,000 acres from the Esopus Indians and began construction on their new life. At first they built simple wood houses but, due to the high status and wealth of these families, they quickly began construction on distinctive, more expensive Dutch style stone houses. Using more durable materials led to us being able to preserve their history and remind us that they created this town. Many of the structures and homes they created still stand today. “New Paltz is one of the most significant historic towns in New York State history and aspects of its early settlement history are of national significance” (Larson 1). Architecture and decorative arts are the two areas where Dutch culture can be seen surviving still today in the Hudson Valley.

Jean Hasbrouck intentionally created this double-wide Dutch house structure to show off his wealth in the new world. Although there is no permanent record of this due to not all historical houses being registered. It is believed that this is the only one of this kind still standing today in the United States. This house when created in 1694 set the tone for all other stone houses in this area. Although, none could compare to its size and magnificence. Later his son Jacob expanded this house. The house was used for more purposes than when it was created such as a store and also could house more family members. Today, it still stands on Huguenot street, reminding us of the significance of these brave families who came to develop the beloved town we call New Paltz today.

Physical Description

A Dutch style stone house was a tedious, time consuming process to construct. From building the basement foundation, adding the wood frames, plastering the interior, this process took months to begin to take shape. However, these houses were strong and sturdy, leaving the Hudson Valley containing some of the oldest architecture in the eastern United States. The typical seventeenth century stone house contained multiple entrances, a front façade and a steep gable roof. Although containing an attic and a basement, living was restricted to the main floor of usually no more than 3 rooms. However, Jacob expanded his home to five rooms. The houses were heated with jambless fireplaces. These fireplaces are a large hearth with no sides, venting into the chimney. (Larson 5). This is a distinctive feature of Dutch architecture. The Jean-Hasbrouck house is the only or one of the few with this structure still standing.

Dutch Stone House Significance

On top of being made of heavy materials and being a laborious process, stone houses were also costly and pretentious even those containing only one room. Stone became an emblem of wealth (Report 1.7). Stone houses were indicators of upper class status and the material gained value when this distinction of wealth and class became important in the community. Stone houses were only built wealthiest figures living in the area. The style of your house was said to show your social status. This material distinguished successful farmers and families from the everyday townspeople (Larson 4). The Jean Hasbrouck house stood above the traditional stone houses because of its size and amount of stone used to create its massive structure.

There are many similarities from the 17th century Dutch buildings discovered both in America and in Europe. Striving to make a presence in the New World community, the Dutch colonists built their iconic Dutch style houses here in America. The use of stone to build kept the Dutch homes distinct from the English and reminded the English that their Dutch culture was still prevalent even in the New World. These houses stood as a refusal to conform to English new world traditions. The Jean Hasbrouck House is one of the most impressive examples of Dutch Colonial stone architecture remaining in the United States.

Narrative

Jacob Hasbrouck renovated his father Jean’s house into a Dutch style house even more grand than the generic Dutch houses seen around the Hudson Valley. Generally plans for dutch houses were restricted to a three room maximum , one story house plans. Jacob’s house did not fall into these plans, it fell into the Large House category reserved for people generally of local importance. His five bedroom, one and a half floor home became an elite house in the neighborhood. This house stood at over twice the size than his neighbors. It is significant because the house was exceptionally large for its time and represented the Hasbrouck’s participation in the new world. While still keeping traditional Dutch culture, this design also showed his American presence. One feature that set this house apart from the other traditional houses was its roof structure and attic space. The roof frame was constructed with a complicated set of interlocking rafters, collars and braces neatly joined to create the structure and sizable attic space which was unusual for its time. Another reason the Jean-Hasbrouck house stood out amongst the other houses because of its symmetrical façades and center passage plan. It was one of the earliest accounts of this design of elite architecture in eastern America.

Provenance

Originally built in 1694 by Jean Hasbrouck as a small one-room living space, the building we see today was expanded around 1721 to serve as a store and a family house while also reminding the community of his status. While renovating Jacob still wished to keep some of the original characteristics of the 1694 design. You can still see the long oak beam in the southern part of the basement supporting the basement fireplace and a rafter on the west roof avoiding the chimney from the original 1694 house. Remainings of the original jambless fireplace and box bed can also be seen today.

The design we see today is that of his son Jacob Hasbrouck, Jean is said to have passed away before building plans were put in place. He expanded the house into its unusually large proportions. He was able to do this because his father passed all of his inheritance down to him making him unusually wealthy for his age (Larson 8). Jacob was an experienced farmer of only 34 years old. He increased the value of his father’s land through land allotments, his shop and various other ways of lending out his land. This large sum of money left to him led him to show this off through the design of this house.

Currently the sophisticated house that stands has seen no major construction since 1721. There has been work done to solely improve the conditions such as upgrading the windows and minor maintenance. In 1893 the vacant house was purchased by Historic Huguenot Street for $3,000 and the one acre of land it was set upon. 1952 interior work was done to keep it preserved. A light was added to display this historical house more. This home shows the Hasbrouck presence in society and Jacob’s large inheritance of wealth. Standing among the other buildings left, we can see its significance through its size and design even hundreds of years later.

Sources:

Crawford & Stearns. Historic Structure Report: The Jean Hasbrouck House. Architects and
Preservation Planners, 2004.

“Home.” Historic Huguenot Street, http://www.huguenotstreet.org/home.

Larson, Neil. “Building a Stone House in Ulster County, New York in 1751.” Vol. 2, 2014, pp. 1–16.

Larson, Niel. Furnishing Plan for the Jean [Jacob] Hasbrouck House. Neil Larson & Associates, 2004.