History of New Paltz

The history of New Paltz is absolutely fascinating. Founded in 1678, it was initially occupied by French Huguenots who had emigrated from Mannheim, Germany after facing persecution in their own country. The name was a derivative from their German settlement, which was known as the Rhenish Palatinate, or the Rhein Pfalz in German.
The pronunciation of the word “Pfalz” in Mannheim was “Paltz”, hence the name of the new settlement today. However, the 1683 New Paltz Reformed Church records note that the settlement was initially named in neither German nor English but the Huguenots’ native language. It was expressed in French as Nouveau Palatinat.
New Paltz enjoyed an enduring and stable local government system right from its very founding. The Duzine governed the local community and was composed of the twelve men that had secured a royal patent for the area’s existence. However, the continued governance of the Duzine owed much to the New York State Legislature following the American Revolution.
The initial royal patent granted the New Paltz area 33,000 acres, which actually stretched to the Hudson River. Further patents were later granted to extend the local area southwards and eventually the land was divided between the twelve founders and selected family members and friends. Each was given a large plot to maintain and protect. It was maintained as farmland for the most part, although some areas were maintained as wilderness. The focal point of the entire area was the Wallkill River because it effectively made farming in the area possible and facilitated the placement of a commercial center on the east shore. This was of course where the majority of people settled and the street is still there to this day – Huguenot Street.
It was on Huguenot Street that the main town activities took place. There were schools, businesses (blacksmiths, seamstresses, stores and so on), a church and various farmers selling their wares. Everything the community could ever need was found at Huguenot Street. The street has largely been kept intact and so can be visited today to get a taste of the past.
As all settlements eventually tend to do, the population grew within the town and so it slowly but surely began to spread in all directions around the Wallkill River. North Front Street and Chestnut Street were both founded and eventually Main Street appeared, although that was not until the 19th Century. However, between 1843 and 183, four towns broke away from New Paltz to form their own laws and governance. As such, the foundation of Lloyd, Shawangunk, Esopus and Gardiner reduced New Paltz to the size that it is today. The New Paltz village did join its township in 1887 and that in turn molded the landscape.
The community has always encouraged education within its midst and so that has been a priority since the 1830s. Higher education could initially be found on North Front Street before moving to Plattekill Avenue and Manheim Boulevard later on that century. This is where the higher education available in the form of State University College of New York at New Paltz can be found today.
The farming community of New Paltz would often go to local markets to prosper, and some would eve go as far as New York City. There were few initial transport links until 1870 though. After the Wallkill Valley Railroad was completed business began to pick up and did even more so just fifty years later when the motorcar became more affordable for the community. However, the community that can be found in New Paltz today had much to do with the establishment of the New York State Thruway in the 1950s. Business soon expanded and the town became a very profitable place to live and work.

The twelve members of the Duzine still have family living in the area and so the names of Bevier, Deyo, Crispell, DuBois, Hasbrouck and LeFevre still persist. However, the settlement of New Paltz is no longer completely French. Now American pronunciation of names is just as if not more common. The area has also been the home of many famous people, with the most notable being Sojourner Truth. As such, New Paltz has had a profound affect on American history and will undoubtedly continue to do so.