The City of Kingston, NY

    Welcome to the City of Kingston, NY

    Kingston, dating to the arrival of the Dutch in 1652, is a vibrant city with rich history and architecture, was the state's first capital, and a thriving arts community. City Hall is in the heart of the community at 420 Broadway, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except July & August (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).  Come tour our historic City, with restaurants that are among the region's finest, and local shopping that promises unique finds.

    Historic Churches

    Kingston is home to many historic churches. The oldest church still standing is the First Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Kingston which was organized in 1659. Referred to as The Old Dutch Church, it is located in Uptown Kingston. Many of the city's historic churches populate Wurts street (6 in one block) among them Hudson Valley Wedding Chapel is a recently restored church built in 1867 and now a chapel hosting weddings. Another church in the Rondout is located at 72 Spring Street. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded in 1849. The original church building at the corner of Hunter Street and Ravine Street burned to the ground in the late 1850s. The current church on Spring Street was built in 1874.

    Kingston, NY

    Kingston became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British on October 13, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga. In the 19th century, the city became an important transport hub after the discovery of natural cement in the region, and had both railroad and canal connections.

    Kingston, NY

    The town of Rondout, New York, now a part of the city of Kingston, became an important freight hub for the transportation of coal from Honesdale, Pennsylvania to New York City through the Delaware and Hudson Canal. This hub was later used to transport other goods, including bluestone. Kingston shaped and shipped most of the bluestone made to create the sidewalks of New York City.

     

    Contact Us

    City Hall Address:
    420 Broadway
    Kingston, New York
    12401

    Phone:
    (845) 331-0080
    Email:
    [email protected]

    Kingston News

    10/24/2024 - City of Kingston Awarded Funding for Wilbur Historic District Registry Nomination

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    October 24, 2024

     

    City of Kingston Awarded Funding for Wilbur Historic District Registry Nomination

     

    KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the City of Kingston has been awarded $15,000 from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to support the Wilbur Historic District National Register Nomination.

    The City of Kingston will use grant funds to hire a preservation consultant to prepare a State and National Register nomination for the Wilbur Historic District. The creation of this district will allow property owners to access the State and Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit programs (up to 50% of restoration costs) and other benefits assigned to properties listed on the registers. The area has just recently been designated as a Local Historic District by the City’s Common Council.

     “We are pleased that the City has been awarded funding to move forward with the historical registry for the Wilbur neighborhood,” said Mayor Noble. “This neighborhood, which occupied a major role in the City’s distinguished history, has been largely overlooked for the past few decades. With the historic designation, we aim to correct that oversight and bring Wilbur’s unique assets to the forefront.”

    “Working with the residents of Wilbur, we have come to understand and appreciate their sense of pride in their neighborhood,” said Suzanne Cahill, Planning Director for Kingston. “This grant will allow us to assemble the needed documentation of the history and unique character of the area, with an ultimate goal of recognition on both the State and National District Registers, which in turn will offer benefits to the property owners, while preserving the assets.”

    With a grant from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, in 2021, the City of Kingston conducted surveys of the Wilbur and Ponckhockie neighborhoods. The City engaged the professional consulting services firm Archeology and Historic Resource Services (AHRS), a recognized historic and cultural resource consulting group out of Rock Tavern, New York, to assist with the project and development of the reports, which built upon previous individual NHR/SRs and local listings, information already collected, and the Historic Buildings Inventory identified in the 1987 Urban Cultural Park Plan.

    More on the Wilbur Historic District survey can be found here: https://engagekingston.com/historic-survey

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