05/25/2026
Join HHS for "Gerritt, James, Molly, and Hendrick: Reconstructing Enslaved Lives in Early New Paltz,” a virtual presentation with Ulster County Historian Eddie Moran, on Thursday, May 28 from 7pm to 8:30pm (EDT).
This presentation explores the lives of Gerritt, James, Molly, and Hendrick—the earliest recorded individuals to have been enslaved by Jean and Jacob Hasbrouck—tracing the fragmentary records that document their presence in colonial New Paltz. Through close reading of these sources alongside carefully grounded historical context, the program reconstructs aspects of their lived experiences and considers the roles they played in shaping the community. In doing so, it invites a deeper reckoning with the human stories embedded within one of New Paltz’s most iconic historic sites.
This presentation will be presented entirely online via a link sent after registration.
Eddie Moran currently serves as the appointed Historian for Ulster County, NY. Eddie graduated with a B.A. in history from SUNY New Paltz in the Spring of 2020, and began work as a tour guide at Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz while still a student in 2017. He managed historical interpretation full-time at Historic Huguenot Street beginning in 2022, and was appointed Ulster County Historian in September 2024. He is a lifelong resident of the Wallkill River Valley.
$8 General Access
$5 Discounted Access (For seniors students, active military personnel and their families, and veterans)
Free Access for HHS members
This program will be recorded, access to which will be shared with all registrants the following day.
Gerritt, James, Molly, and Hendrick are the focus of the 2026 Witness Stone Project collaboration between Historic Huguenot Street, the Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis Center, and the Ulster County Historian. This year, the project welcomes students from Kingston High School as they engage with this research through field trips and in-classroom work. Their culminating art project will bridge connections between the history of slavery, an analysis of archival documents, and their own experiences as local youth.
Commemorative memorial markers honoring Gerritt, James, Molly, and Hendrick will be installed in front of the Jacob (Jean) Hasbrouck House and unveiled at the Juneteenth Jubilee hosted by the Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis Center at Historic Huguenot Street on Friday, June 19th.
For more information and to register visit: huguenotstreet.org/calendar-of-events/5/28/26/gerritt-james-molly-and-hendrick
Historic Huguenot Street’s programs are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
