Hurley in Ulster County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Welcome to Historic Hurley
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 15, 2024
1. Welcome to Historic Hurley Marker
If you follow the path up the hill you'll find yourself on Main Street, Hurley a National Landmark.
Eight stone houses date from the early 1700's and are the best preserved examples you'll find of early local architecture.
You can explore the historic burial ground where the oldest marker is from 1715, see the spot where a British spy was hung, and visit the Hurley Heritage Society Museum at the Col. Jonathan Elmendorf house.
The Esopus Indians, a branch of the Delaware Indians, lived here and cultivated maize in the valley long before the Dutch established the settlement which was to become Hurley (Nieu Dorp, meaning New Village) in June, 1662.
In 1669, when English rule replaced the Dutch, the English Governor, Richard Lovelace, renamed the town Horley (pronounced Hurley) after his ancestral home. By 1680, Hurley boasted a grain mill, brewery, distillery, blacksmith, and carpenter. By 1720, the trades included a shoemaker, weaver, tannery, and a stone quarry.
Hurley was declared a National Landmark in 1966. In all, 26 historic stone houses lie within our town borders.
A Link in the Delaware and Hudson Heritage Corridor
Erected by Town of Hurley.
Topics and series. This historical marker
this page online
Location. 41° 55.546′ N, 74° 3.925′ W. Marker is in Hurley, New York, in Ulster County. It can be reached from U.S. 209 just north of Wynkoop Road (County Road 29A), on the right when traveling north. The marker is located beside the Hurley O&W Rail Trail, between US Highway 209 and Depot Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hurley NY 12443, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York and in the Hudson Valley. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Site of the O&W Train Station in Hurley (within shouting distance of this marker); Town of Hurley Lions Gazebo (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Old Guard House (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Old Guard House (about 400 feet away);
2. Marker detail: Colonel Jonathan Elmendorf House
Currently houses the Hurley Heritage Society.
Regarding Welcome to Historic Hurley. The Hurley Historic District is designated as National Register of Historic Places #66000577, and also designated a National Historic Landmark District on November 5, 1961.
From the National Register Nomination:
Preserved in this little town, lying between the Hudson River and the Catskills, is a collection of stone houses which, despite the usual alterations wrought by the years, still preserves the Dutch heritage of the region to an unusual degree. Ten of these solid dwellings, many still occupied by descendants of early Dutch settlers, extend along Hurley Street, the town's principal thoroughfare. Scattered nearby are other survivors of two centuries and more. A few of these have characteristics more English than Dutch, attesting to the changes in settlement after the fall of New Netherland; changes which occurred despite the stubborn, if non-violent, resistance of the original settlers to the Englishand their alien ways.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 15, 20243. Welcome to Historic Hurley Marker
Also see . . . Hurley Historic District (Wikipedia). Excerpt:
The Hurley Historic District encompasses the center of the hamlet of Hurley, the main settlement area of the town of Hurley, New York. Stretched along US 209, 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.(Submitted on July 24, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 15, 2024
4. Welcome to Historic Hurley Marker
Looking east from the Hurley O&W Rail Trail; Depot Street crosses in the background.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 25, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 24, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 394 times since then and 71 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on July 24, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2. submitted on July 25, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3, 4. submitted on July 24, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
