Church Park Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Church Park Historic District
is part of downtown Goshen
, the seat
of Orange County
, New York
, USA. It takes its name from the large triangular park formed at the center of the village by Main Street (NY 207
), Park Place and South Church Street. It is defined as bounded by Green Street on the south, Main Street, Webster Avenue, and then back across Main at Erie Street across the Historic Track
to Kelsey Lane, South Church Street, South Street and back to Green. There are 107 buildings and three objects within the district.
At the north end of the triangle are First Presbyterian Church, whose distinctive spire
dominates the village's skyline
, giving the district its name. It was first designated when added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980 as bounded by Park, Main and Webster. In 2004 it was expanded to its current boundaries.
The village designated the area an Architectural Design District a few years after the district was added to the Register. This provides for review of design elements for any new construction within its boundaries to ensure that they conform to its historic character, which stands as a stark contrast to the brutalist
, Paul Rudolph
-designed Orange County Government Center
to the north of the district. Most of the properties within are either churches, county government buildings or professional offices, with residential uses taking up the side streets. There is some retail
along the west side of Main Street near the southwestern corner of the district, where it abuts Goshen's main downtown shopping district.
that are Registered Historic Places in their own right. Foremost among them is the Historic Track
, a National Historic Landmark
where harness racing
has taken place since 1838, making it the oldest continuously operated horse racing facility in the U.S. In front of it, on Main Street near the north end of the district, is the Tudor Revival
Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame
. Facing the church from across Main is the county's 1841 courthouse
, a magnificent Greek Revival
structure designed by popular local architect Thornton Niven.
Just north of the church is Orange County's 1887 government building, and in the middle of the intersection of Main and Park is a Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson
statue
commemorating the "Orange Blossoms
", a locally-raised regiment
that fought with distinction in the Civil War
. The Goshen United Methodist Church, almost as tall as its neighbor, adjoins the old courthouse.
At the corner of Park and South Church, another monument
remembers the village's sacrifice during the Revolutionary War
. A granite
obelisk
marks the mass grave of the local militia
men who died in the disastrous Battle of Minisink
. It took 43 years for locals to make the trip to the battlesite and retrieve what bone
s they could.
Main Street to the north of the intersection is wide and lined with historic buildings on both sides. They include a house from which President
Ulysses S. Grant
watched the horse races in 1873 and the early 20th-century school building which now serves as main offices for the Goshen Central School District
.
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
is part of downtown Goshen
Goshen (village), New York
Goshen is a village in and the county seat of Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 5,676 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport,...
, the seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Orange County
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA. It takes its name from the large triangular park formed at the center of the village by Main Street (NY 207
New York State Route 207
New York State Route 207 is a state highway located entirely within Orange County, New York, in the United States. It serves as a connector between the village of Goshen and the city of Newburgh. It has for a long time provided the main access to Stewart International Airport...
), Park Place and South Church Street. It is defined as bounded by Green Street on the south, Main Street, Webster Avenue, and then back across Main at Erie Street across the Historic Track
Historic Track
The Historic Track is a half-mile harness racing track in Goshen, New York. It was opened in 1838 and has been in operation ever since, the oldest continuously operated horse racing track in North America....
to Kelsey Lane, South Church Street, South Street and back to Green. There are 107 buildings and three objects within the district.
At the north end of the triangle are First Presbyterian Church, whose distinctive spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
dominates the village's skyline
Skyline
A skyline is the overall or partial view of a city's tall buildings and structures consisting of many skyscrapers in front of the sky in the background. It can also be described as the artificial horizon that a city's overall structure creates. Skylines serve as a kind of fingerprint of a city, as...
, giving the district its name. It was first designated when added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980 as bounded by Park, Main and Webster. In 2004 it was expanded to its current boundaries.
The village designated the area an Architectural Design District a few years after the district was added to the Register. This provides for review of design elements for any new construction within its boundaries to ensure that they conform to its historic character, which stands as a stark contrast to the brutalist
Brutalist architecture
Brutalist architecture is a style of architecture which flourished from the 1950s to the mid 1970s, spawned from the modernist architectural movement.-The term "brutalism":...
, Paul Rudolph
Paul Rudolph (architect)
Paul Marvin Rudolph was an American architect and the dean of the Yale School of Architecture for six years, known for use of concrete and highly complex floor plans...
-designed Orange County Government Center
Orange County Government Center
The Orange County Government Center, located on Main Street in Goshen, New York, is as its name suggests the main office of the government of Orange County. It houses most county officials' offices and meetings of the county legislature. The records of Orange County Court and all deeds and...
to the north of the district. Most of the properties within are either churches, county government buildings or professional offices, with residential uses taking up the side streets. There is some retail
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
along the west side of Main Street near the southwestern corner of the district, where it abuts Goshen's main downtown shopping district.
Significant contributing properties
The district's 1,020 acres (4 km²) includes three contributing propertiesContributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
that are Registered Historic Places in their own right. Foremost among them is the Historic Track
Historic Track
The Historic Track is a half-mile harness racing track in Goshen, New York. It was opened in 1838 and has been in operation ever since, the oldest continuously operated horse racing track in North America....
, a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
where harness racing
Harness racing
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...
has taken place since 1838, making it the oldest continuously operated horse racing facility in the U.S. In front of it, on Main Street near the north end of the district, is the Tudor Revival
Tudorbethan architecture
The Tudor Revival architecture of the 20th century , first manifested itself in domestic architecture beginning in the United Kingdom in the mid to late 19th century based on a revival of aspects of Tudor style. It later became an influence in some other countries, especially the British colonies...
Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame
Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame
The Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame is a museum in Goshen, New York. The museum collects and preserves the history of harness racing and serves as a hall of fame for trotter horses....
. Facing the church from across Main is the county's 1841 courthouse
1841 Goshen Courthouse
The 1841 Goshen Courthouse is located along Main Street in the center of Goshen, New York, the seat of Orange County, New York, USA. It was designed by popular local architect Thornton Niven in a Greek Revival style, meant to be a twin of the one he had already built in Newburgh, which at that...
, a magnificent Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
structure designed by popular local architect Thornton Niven.
Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson
Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson , also known as Tho. A. R. Kitson, was an American sculptor.Kitson was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. As a young child she displayed artistic talent, but when her mother attempted to enroll her in the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, she was informed that she...
statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
commemorating the "Orange Blossoms
124th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 124th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the Orange Blossoms, was a volunteer regiment from Orange County, New York, during the American Civil War. Formed in Goshen during the summer of 1862, The unit was officially mustered into United States Service on September 5, 1862,...
", a locally-raised regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
that fought with distinction in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The Goshen United Methodist Church, almost as tall as its neighbor, adjoins the old courthouse.
At the corner of Park and South Church, another monument
Monument
A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, or simply as an example of historic architecture...
remembers the village's sacrifice during the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. A granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
marks the mass grave of the local militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
men who died in the disastrous Battle of Minisink
Battle of Minisink
The Battle of Minisink was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought at Minisink Ford, New York, on July 22, 1779. It was the only major skirmish of the Revolutionary War fought in the northern Delaware Valley...
. It took 43 years for locals to make the trip to the battlesite and retrieve what bone
Bone
Bones are rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...
s they could.
Main Street to the north of the intersection is wide and lined with historic buildings on both sides. They include a house from which President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
watched the horse races in 1873 and the early 20th-century school building which now serves as main offices for the Goshen Central School District
Goshen Central School District
The Goshen Central School District is a public school district in Orange County, New York, USA. It educates children in the village of Goshen and most of the town, as well as the Campbell Hall section of the neighboring Town of Hamptonburgh and part of the Town of Wallkill, including the hamlet of...
.