The Hurley Historic District encompasses the center of the
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
of
Hurley, the main settlement area of the
town of Hurley,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. Stretched along
US 209
U.S. Route 209 (US 209) is a long U.S. Highway in the states of Pennsylvania and New York. Although the route is a spur of US 9, US 209 never intersects US 9, coming within five miles of the route and making the short ...
, the hamlet includes one of the finest concentrations of colonial Dutch architecture in the United States. Settled by the Dutch in the 17th century, its architecture has retained the influence of that period. The village is also historically significant as a temporary home of the seat of New York government during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. It was designated a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1961.
Description and history
Hurley is a small town located on the edge of the
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined as those areas c ...
west of
Kingston in the
Hudson River Valley
The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to Yo ...
. Its main village lines both sides of
US 209
U.S. Route 209 (US 209) is a long U.S. Highway in the states of Pennsylvania and New York. Although the route is a spur of US 9, US 209 never intersects US 9, coming within five miles of the route and making the short ...
, which bisects the community, and extends along Wynkoop Road, Main Street and Hurley Mountain Road at the
boundary
Boundary or Boundaries may refer to:
* Border, in political geography
Entertainment
*Boundaries (2016 film), ''Boundaries'' (2016 film), a 2016 Canadian film
*Boundaries (2018 film), ''Boundaries'' (2018 film), a 2018 American-Canadian road trip ...
of the
Catskill Park
The Catskill Park is in the Catskill Mountains in New York in the United States. It consists of of land inside a Blue Line in four counties: Delaware, Greene, Sullivan, and Ulster. As of 2005, or 41 percent of the land within, is owned by ...
. The village includes a collection of stone and frame structures, many dating from the 18th century. Ten of these are good examples of Dutch Colonial architecture, while the other buildings contribute to its ambience as an 18th-century village. Included in the historic district are the town cemetery, where its early settlers are buried, and the surrounding farmland.
Originally
settled by the Dutch and called Nieuw Dorp ("New Village"), it came under English control soon thereafter although its inhabitants continued to speak
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
and preserve other aspects of that culture for at least another century.
Hurley is also historically important both for its role in the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. The newly formed New York state government moved here for two months in late 1777 while Kingston was being rebuilt. The British Army had burned it in retaliation for the creation of the state there (
Albany, New York's traditional capital, was
under threat of attack by a large army led by General
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne (24 February 1722 – 4 August 1792) was a British general, dramatist and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1761 to 1792. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several batt ...
). It is thus the second of the state's three capital cities.
See also
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in New York
This is a list of National Historic Landmarks and comparable other historic sites designated by the U.S. government in the U.S. state of New York. The United States National Historic Landmark (NHL) program operates under the auspices of the Nat ...
*
References
External links
Hurley Stone House DayHurley Heritage Society
{{National Register of Historic Places in New York
Dutch-American culture in New York (state)
National Historic Landmarks in New York (state)
National Register of Historic Places in Ulster County, New York
American Revolutionary War sites
New York (state) in the American Revolution
Historic districts in Ulster County, New York
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)