Speaking Engagement Topic 2

Six Feet Under Huguenot Street: The Historic Burying Ground

The "Old Huguenot Burying Ground" on Huguenot Street offers a tangible connection to the earliest generations of European settlement in New Paltz. Focusing on historic gravestones still found in this burial space, "Six Feet Under Huguenot Street" will discuss the development of the community through the final resting places of its residents. Drawing from archival records, HHS staff will share stories from colonial funeral practices (death biscuit, anyone?) to Victorian ideas surrounding death, while showcasing to audiences the evolution of gravestones in New York and what they can tell us about the traditions of the European settlers along Huguenot Street.