Hurley

Hurley, a National Historic Landmark, was founded by the Dutch in 1661. The area is surrounded by cornfields, which occupy the floodplain of the Esopus Creek, sitting on deep soils that accumulated during the last ice age. Hurley was burned by American Indians in 1663, during the Second Esopus War. It was rebuilt and today includes one of the largest clusters of stone houses in the United States. The 24 Hurley Stone Houses, as they're known collectively, date from the late 17th to early 19th century, and many are still home to descendants of the original families. On the second Saturday in July about a third of the homes are opened to the public. During Hurley's one-month stint as the state capital following the burning of Kingston by the British, the 1723 Van Deusen House (or Senate House) served as meeting space for the Colonists.