NEWSLETTER
New Paltz, NY (May 27, 2020) – On June 2, 2020, Historic Huguenot Street presents a new online exhibit, Jane Deyo Wynkoop. Jane Deyo Wynkoop is believed to be the first African American—man or woman—to buy land in New Paltz, New York. Born to an enslaved woman in this rural Ulster County community, Jane’s story is a remarkable one.
Despite humble beginnings, her diligence and determination resulted in a productive, inspiring life that included marriage and raising a family. As a result of her hard work and planning, Jane’s purchase of land was the first step toward opening the door for her sons’ acquiring the right to vote. Through original archival documents, the exhibit Jane Deyo Wynkoop explores her story from birth in 1803 to death in 1876, at age 73. The exhibit may be viewed at https://www.huguenotstreet.org/exhibits.
The exhibit is the second in a series of online exhibits being developed by the HHS Curatorial Department focused on prominent women in the history of New Paltz, sponsored by the New York State Council on the Arts. The exhibit’s launch in June also coincides with Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the effective ending of slavery in the United States.
The online exhibit is part of the museum’s pivot to digital programming while its doors are closed to the public during the health crisis. Joining other institutions across the country and abroad, Historic Huguenot Street has launched a new online programming initiative that includes engaging videos, hands-on activities, special deals from the museum shop available for delivery, and new ways to participate and explore its exhibitions, archives, and collection. These virtual experiences will be available on the museum’s website and shared through its social-media channels using the hashtag #MuseumsFromHome.
Anyone interested in supporting Historic Huguenot Street and its new approach to online programming and digital content can become a member or make a donation on the museum’s website, http://www.huguenotstreet.org/donate.
Image information: Detail from Register of Slaves (1799-1825), Records of the Town of New Paltz, courtesy of the Historic Huguenot Street Archives.
Sponsored by the New York State Council on the Arts.
About Historic Huguenot Street
A National Historic Landmark District, Historic Huguenot Street is a 501(c)3 non-profit that encompasses 30 buildings across 10 acres comprising the heart of the original 1678 New Paltz settlement, including seven stone houses dating to the early eighteenth century. Historic Huguenot Street was founded in 1894 as the Huguenot Patriotic, Historical, and Monumental Society to preserve the nationally acclaimed collection of stone houses. Since then, Historic Huguenot Street has grown into an innovative museum, chartered as an educational corporation by the University of the State of New York Department of Education that is dedicated to protecting our historic buildings, preserving an important collection of artifacts and manuscripts, and promoting the stories of the Huguenot Street families from the seventeenth century to today.
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Frances Vigna
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(845) 255-1660 Ext. 102