| Background
Historic Huguenot Street, comprised of seven original 18th century stone houses, survives today as one of the most significant architectural collections in the United States. Located on the picturesque banks of the Wallkill River in New Paltz, New York, this National Historic  Landmark District stands as an enduring monument to the French Protestants who fled religious persecution in northern France and present-day Belgium to seek freedom and prosperity in the American colonies. Owned and cared for by the Huguenot Historical Society, the site offers special events throughout the year, educational programs, tours, exhibits, and research opportunities. Three of the houses, the Bevier-Elting, Jean [Jacob] Hasbrouck, and Abraham [Daniel] Hasbrouck Houses, whose original portions were built in the early 1700s, are furnished and interpreted as they would have appeared in the 18th century.
 The Jean [Jacob] Hasbrouck House was built by Jacob Hasbrouck, son of Patentee Jean Hasbrouck and his wife, Anna Deyo Hasbrouck. It is a dramatic structure built in a form that is unique in colonial American architecture. Dendrochronology (tree-ring dating) of the structural beams indicates that the house was built in 1721. The Jean [Jacob] Hasbrouck House was the first structure purchased by the Huguenot Patriotic, Monumental, and Historical Society (the original name of the Huguenot Historical Society) and has operated as a museum since 1899.
Project
The Jean [Jacob] Hasbrouck House has been closed for restoration since 2005. During the first year of work, masons dismantled the north wall of the house, cleaned the stones and reassembled it. All of the stones on the exterior were replaced exactly as when they were first placed in 1721.
 The Huguenot Historical Society has hosted volunteers from France for the past three years to help with restoration efforts; HCN has joined the partnership this year in order to bring in additional volunteers. The goal of this year’s workshop is to get both the first and second coats of clay and straw daubing installed and squared up in the rooms where the original material is currently missing. Where the plaster is intact but just 'hollow' sounding, volunteers will inject lime grout to reestablish a sound bond to the substrate, with the goal of keeping as much of the original historic fabric in place as possible.
The technique for applying the final finish coat will be demonstrated so that participants can learn the complete process. The actual application must wait for the first two coats to dry out slowly and shrink before the final coat is applied, so that work will need to be done at another time. Local limestone will be burned in a specially built kiln to make the lime needed for the project.
Andy DeGruchy of deGruchy Masonry Restoration, Inc. will lead the work. Mr. DeGruchy initiated and led HCN’s highly successful workshop at the Weisel Bridge in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, which hard working crews completely restored in two weeks.
Logistics
New Paltz is a small, pleasant, funky college town. The Hasbrouck House is two blocks from the center of town. The closest airports are Stewart Field in Newburgh and Albany International Airport. There is no public transportation from Newburgh; from Albany, there are buses to New Paltz. Travellers coming from New York City or its airports (JFK, LaGuardia or Newark) can take a shuttle or bus to Port Authority in Manhattan and from there take an Adirondack Trailways bus to New Paltz.
The workshop will be two weeks in length and participants may register for either one or two weeks. The cost for the workshop is $475 per person per week. Workshop fees cover insurance, workshop materials and instruction. Meals, accommodation and transportation to the workshop are not included and are the responsibility of the participant.
Work and instruction will take place Monday through Friday, though participants should plan to arrive in New Paltz the day before. This workshop differs from other HCN workshops in that participants are responsible for their own lodging and meals. There are a number of bed and breakfast accommodations in and around New Paltz, in addition to the well-known Mohonk Mountain House and a selection of motor lodges.
Volunteers can expect weather at the end of August to be hot and muggy, with daytime temperatures ranging from 29-38 C (85-100 F). It does cool off at night however; nighttime temperatures range from 18-24 C (65-75 F). Fortunately, there are a number of near-by swimming holes. The majority of the work will be indoors in a stone building which tends to remain cool during the day. Please bring clothing that is appropriate for the weather as well as protective while working with lime. Water bottles, sun screen and insect repellent are highly recommended. Please be conscious that safety is an important issue at any work site.
If you need additional information, please contact us at workshops@heritageconservation.net or call +1 303 444 0128.
If you find this project intriguing, but are unable to attend, you can still participate by supporting conservation work at the Jean [Jacob] Hasbrouck House and at other project sites with a tax-deductible donation to HCN. We have partnered with Groundspring.org to make it easy and
safe for you to donate online:
If you would prefer to mail in a gift, please use our donation form. |
