Historic Track
The Historic Track is a half-mile (900 m) 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.[3]
Historic Track | |
 A trotter working out on the track | |
| Location | Goshen, NY |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Middletown |
| Coordinates | 41°24′08″N 74°19′10″W |
| Built | 1838 |
| Part of | Church Park Historic District (ID80002735) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000560 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966[1] |
| Designated NHL | May 23, 1966[2] |
| Designated CP | November 17, 1980 |
Informal horse races had been held along neighboring Main Street (now part of NY 207) since the 1750s. The current track site was first used in 1838 when a ⅓-mile (530 m) circle around a circus ground near the south end of the track was cleared and prepared for regular racing. Later it would be succeeded by an oval track perpendicular to the current one, then a long square track around the whole site, until the current track was built in 1873.[4]
Regular events were held at the track until the late 1970s, when the parimutuel machines were taken out. Today the track operates a limited but intense season every summer on Sundays in June, followed by a series of races between June 30 and July 4.[3]
The track was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places later in the same year, when the National Register was created.[2] The grandstands seat 2200 fans.[5] In 1980 it was identified as a contributing property to the Church Park Historic District. The Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame (run by a separate organization) is located nearby.
Goshen Central High School holds its annual graduation ceremony at the track, enabling a large audience of townspeople.
In 2017 a fire, possibly started in the blacksmith's shop, destroyed some of the barns and stables on the property. The horses housed in them were saved; the blaze did not affect the grandstand or any of the other buildings on the property.[6]
See also
References
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- "Historic Track". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 14, 2007. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2007.
- "Goshen Historic Track" (PDF). (20.3 KB), retrieved from ustrotting.com July 23, 2007.
- Interpretive panel near track entrance, visited July 25, 2007.
- Richard Greenwood (December 9, 1975). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Historic Track" (pdf). National Park Service.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Norton, Erika (August 24, 2017). "Fire destroys barns, stables at Goshen Historic Track". The Chronicle. Straus News. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
External links
