New Paltz Downtown Historic District

Downtown New Paltz, in southeastern Ulster County, grew along Main Street and North and South Chestnut Street as the village's commercial center moved away from Huguenot Street, the 18th-century settlement. In the early 1800s the shift began at the crossing of Main Street with the road running south. Merchant Ezekiel Elting moved his store there in 1817, and his son Solomon built a stone house on the site in 1818. By 1858 the corner held a bank, a hotel and a small Greek Revival store that also served as the post office. Later development included a Methodist church on Church Street in 1840, a village hall in 1862 and the Wallkill Valley Railroad in 1871. The district holds wood and brick buildings with street-level storefronts, many connected, mixed with houses reflecting the village's blend of living and working space. Styles include Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate and Colonial Revival. Main Street shows the village's commercial peak around 1900.