National Historical RegisterIndependent guide · not a government site

Historic Track

Goshen, Orange County, New York Listed Ref. 66000560 Historic district National Historic Landmark
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Historic Track, New York
Photo: The original uploader was Daniel Case at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Why it's listed

Historic Track is a half-mile oval dirt racecourse on Main Street in Goshen, New York, used for harness racing. The first race on the site took place in 1838, and John Minchin built the first track there in 1854. It was rebuilt in 1858, reshaped into an oval with an 800-seat grandstand in 1874, and rebuilt again in 1884. E. H. Harriman leased the course in 1894 and took control of its owning association in 1909, preventing a likely closure. Manager Renssalaer Weston gave the track its present name, and a steel grandstand was donated in 1911. The grounds include a judges' platform, bandstand, tote board, stables and an old barn. The nomination presents the track as one of the oldest active trotting courses in the country. It was a showcase for famous trotters, including Hambletonian, descendant of the imported horse Messenger, and has changed little since 1911.

Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).

Areas of significanceEntertainment/Recreation, Agriculture
Acreage22
Boundary sourceNPS cultural-resource GIS polygon
Full listing pageHistoric Track (property record)

What listing means for this property

This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.