Historic Huguenot Street (HHS), located along the banks of the Wallkill River, preserves New Paltz’s original 18th-century streetscape; its seven restored stone houses, burying ground and reconstructed French church are rooted in one of the earliest settlements in the area, dating back to 1678. Following on the heels of its “History, Huguenots and Hippies” event last month, which happened all over New Paltz and replaced the annual Colonial Heritage Festival (one suspects that the change is rooted in fiscal belt-tightening), HHS is once again embracing the wider community with a private house tour on June 12. It’s a rare opportunity to get a glimpse of some of the finest domestic interiors in the village and see how styles changed over time.

Nine houses spanning three centuries will be open for tours. They range from an 18th-century stone house in the village to an early-20th-century Dutch Colonial with a characteristic gambrel roof. The contemporary house on the tour was selected because it’s an example of how a new building can fit in harmoniously with the village’s traditional architectural fabric, according to Richard Heyl de Ortiz, HHS’s director of Marketing, Development and Visitation: It’s refreshingly small – resisting the house-on-steroids trend of the last two decades – and in the Craftsman style.

The tour includes one of the HHS houses in the midst of restoration, which provides visitors with a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse of the stagework that goes on behind the recreation of these authentically styled buildings. It ends with a bang at the Philip Elting House, a grand Victorian overlooking the river whose original owner founded a paint company (later consolidated into Glidden Paints) and donated the money for the New Paltz library. The current owners collect clocks, vintage toys and classic cars, according to de Ortiz, so the house is in essence its own private museum.

HHS’s Historic House Tour takes place from noon to 5 p.m., on Sunday, June 12. Tickets cost $25 in advance and $30 the day of the tour; they can be picked up at the DuBois Fort Visitor Center at 81 Huguenot Street. Visit www.huguenotstreet.org or call (845) 255-1889.