Kingston, New York | |
|---|---|
| City of Kingston | |
 Stockade District with theOld Dutch Church visible in the background  | |
%2c_New_York_Flag.png) Flag  Seal | |
_highlighted.svg) Location inUlster County and the state ofNew York. | |
  Kingston  Kingston | |
| Coordinates:41°55′43″N74°00′07″W / 41.92861°N 74.00194°W /41.92861; -74.00194 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Ulster |
| Settled | 1652; 373 years ago (1652) |
| Village | April 6, 1805; 220 years ago (1805-04-06) |
| City | May 29, 1872; 153 years ago (1872-05-29) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Steve Noble (D) |
| • Common Council | Members' List |
| Area | |
• City | 8.77 sq mi (22.71 km2) |
| • Land | 7.48 sq mi (19.38 km2) |
| • Water | 1.29 sq mi (3.33 km2) |
| Elevation | 191 ft (58 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• City | 24,069 |
| • Density | 3,216.92/sq mi (1,242.00/km2) |
| • Metro | 177,749 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 12401–12402 |
| Area code | 845 |
| FIPS code | 36-39727 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0979119 |
| Website | kingston-ny |
Kingston is the onlycity in, and thecounty seat of,Ulster County, New York, United States. It is 91 miles (146 km) north ofNew York City and 59 miles (95 km) south ofAlbany. The city's metropolitan area is grouped with theNew York metropolitan area around Manhattan by theUnited States Census Bureau.[2] The population was 24,069 at the2020 United States census.[3]
Kingston became New York's first capital in 1777. During theAmerican Revolutionary War, the citywas burned by the British on October 13, 1777, after theBattles of Saratoga. In the 19th century, it became an importanttransport hub after the discovery ofnatural cement in the region. It had connections to other markets through both the railroad and canal connections.
Many of the older buildings are considered contributing as part of three historic districts, including theStockade District uptown, the Midtown Neighborhood Broadway Corridor, and theRondout-West Strand Historic District downtown. Each district is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
Dutch RepublicEmpire 1614–1674
British Empire 1674–1776
United States 1776–present
| New Netherland series |
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| Exploration |
| Fortifications: |
| Settlements: |
| The Patroon System |
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| People of New Netherland |
| Flushing Remonstrance |
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Kingston is the traditional home of theEsopus people. As early as 1614, the Dutch had set up afactorij (trading post) at Ponckhockie, at the junction of theRondout Creek and the Hudson River. They traded European goods with the Lenape and Mohican for the furs their trappers collected. In 1652, the Indians of Ulster County ceded some land to the Dutch in what is now known as Kingston.[1] The first recorded permanent settler in what would become the city of Kingston was Thomas Chambers. He came from the area ofRensselaerswyck in 1653. The new settlement was calledEsopus after the local Lenape people.
In 1654, European settlers began buying more land from the Esopus Indians further west. However, historians believe the two cultures had drastically different conceptions of property and land use, causing tension between the two groups. Common sources of friction between Dutch settlers and the Esopus included settlers' livestock trampling Indian cornfields, disputes over trade, and the adverse effects of Dutch brandy on the Native Americans. Prior to the Europeans' arrival, natives had no experience with liquor.
In the spring of 1658,Peter Stuyvesant, Director-General of New Amsterdam, ordered the consolidation and fortification of the settlement on high ground in what today isUptown Kingston. The building of the defensive stockade increased the conflicts. Tensions broke out in theEsopus Wars.[4]
In 1661, the Dutch granted a charter for the settlement as a separate municipality; Stuyvesant named itWiltwijck (Wiltwyck).[5] In 1663, the Esopus were defeated in the Second Esopus War by a coalition ofDutch settlers, andWappinger andMohawk peoples.
When the Dutch ceded their New Netherland to the British in September 1664, the British people worked to settle boundaries and conflict between the Europeans and the Esopus. Ultimately, the Richard Nicolls/Esopus Indian Treaty (1665) resulted in lasting peace between the natives and settlers. According to the treaty, the Esopus "in the names of themselves and theire heirs forever, give, Grant, Alienate, and Confirme all their Right and Interest, Claime or demand, to a certaine Parcell of Land" including the city of Kingston and extending to modernKerhonkson. In exchange, the natives received "forty Blanketts, Twenty Pounds of Powder, Twenty Knives, Six Kettles, [and] Twelve Barrs of Lead" and "three laced redd coates" as a gift to the tribal leaders.[2] Further, the British and Esopus designed a system of trade which included a protected trade path for the Esopus to travel unharmed, and a safe house where Esopus could stay when visiting the village.[3] The treaty was respected for generations, as evidenced by records of annual gatherings between the Esopus and local Kingstonians where each exchanged gifts of mutual respect.[6] The treaty is still recognized and celebrated by the City of Kingston and descendants of the Esopus.[7]
Many descendants of the Esopus people who inhabited the area became remnant members of several other related, displaced tribes. Some in the diaspora are among the federally recognizedStockbridge–Munsee Community, who moved from New York to Shawano County, Wisconsin; theMunsee-Delaware of the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada, established after the Revolution by the Crown for its Iroquois and other Indian allies; and theRamapough Lenape Indian Nation (located primarily in the highland of the New York-New Jersey border area).
Wiltwyck was one of three largeHudson River settlements inNew Netherland, the other two beingBeverwyck, nowAlbany; andNew Amsterdam, now New York City. With the English seizure of New Netherland in 1664, relations between the Dutch settlers and the English soldiers garrisoned there were often strained. In 1669, the English renamed Wiltwyck as Kingston, in honor of the family seat ofGovernor Lovelace's mother.[5] In 1683, citizens of Kingston petitioned the Kingston court to buy more land from the Esopus people. Officials from Ulster County maintained contact with the Esopus until 1727.[8]
In 1777, Kingston was designated as the first capital of thestate of New York. During the spring of 1777, when the New York State constitution was being written inWhite Plains, New York City was occupied by British troops. The work was moved to Kingston, which was deemed safer, and the document completed that April 20. It was never submitted to the people for ratification, but the first governor of the state,George Clinton, was sworn in as the firstGovernor of New York on July 30, 1777.[9]
The British never reached Albany, having been stopped atSaratoga, but they did reach Kingston. On October 13, 1777,the city was burned by British troops[10] moving up river fromNew York City, and disembarking at the mouth of the Rondout Creek at "Ponckhockie". The residents of Kingston knew about the oncoming fleet. By the time the British arrived, the residents and government officials had removed toHurley, New York. The Kingston area was largely agricultural and a major granary for the colonies at the time, so the British burned large amounts of wheat and all but one or two of the buildings. Kingston celebrates and re-enacts the 1777 burning of the city by the British every other year in a citywide theatrical staging of the event that begins at the Rondout.
Kingston was incorporated as a village on April 6, 1805. In the early 1800s, four sloops plied the river, carrying passengers and freight from Kingston to New York. By 1829, river steamers made the trip to Manhattan in a little over twelve hours, usually travelling by night. Columbus Point (now known as Kingston Point) was the river landing for Kingston, and stage lines ran from the village to the Point.[11] The Dutch cultural influence in Kingston remained strong through the nineteenth century.
Rondout was a small farming village until 1825, when construction of theDelaware and Hudson Canal from Rondout toHonesdale, Pennsylvania, attracted an influx of laborers. When they completed the canal in 1828, Rondout became an important tidewater coal terminal.Natural cement deposits were found throughout the valley, and in 1844 quarrying began in the "Ponchockie" section ofRondout. The Newark Lime and Cement Company shipped cement throughout the United States, a thriving business until the invention of cheaper, quicker dryingPortland Cement. Workers cut and stored ice from the Hudson River each winter, keeping it in large warehouses of ice near the river. The ice would be cut in chunks and delivered to customers around the city. It was preserved in straw all year and ice chunks served as an early method of refrigeration.[12]
Large brick making factories also were built near this shipping hub.[13][14] Rondout's primacy as a shipping hub ended with the advent of railroads. These lines were built through Rondout and Kingston, with stations in each place. They could also transport their loads through the city without stopping.
Wilbur (akaTwaalfskill) was a hamlet upstream from Rondout, where the Twaalfskill Creek met the Rondout Creek. There was a sloop landing there. The hamlet became the center for the shipment ofbluestone to lay the sidewalks of New York City.
Kingston officially became a city on May 29, 1872, with the merger of the villages of Rondout and Kingston, and the hamlet of Wilbur.[15]
Kingston has three recognized area neighborhoods. The Uptown Stockade Area, The Midtown Area, and The Downtown Waterfront Area. The UptownStockade District was the first capital of New York State. Meanwhile, the Midtown area is known for its early 20th century industries and is home to the Ulster Performing Arts Center and the historic City Hall building.
The downtown area, once the village ofRondout and now theRondout-West Strand Historic District, borders theRondout Creek and includes a recently redeveloped waterfront. The creek empties into the Hudson River through a large, protected tidal area which was the terminus of theDelaware and Hudson Canal, built to haul coal from Pennsylvania to New York City.[16]
The Rondout neighborhood is known for its artists' community and its many art galleries.[17] It is also the site of a number of festivals, including the Kingston Jazz Festival and the Artists Soapbox Derby.[18]
Midtown is the largest of Kingston's neighborhoods, home to Kingston High School, an original Carnegie Library that is currently part of the high school, and both campuses of HealthAlliance Hospital, part of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network; HealthAlliance Broadway Campus (formerly The Kingston Hospital) and HealthAlliance Mary's Avenue Campus (formerly Benedictine Hospital).
While the Uptown area is noted for its "antique" feeling, the overhangs attached to buildings along Wall and North Front streets were added to historic buildings in the late 1970s and are not authentically part of the 19th century Victorian architecture. The historic covered storefront walks, known as the Pike Plan, were recently reinforced and modernized with skylights. In the Stockade district of Uptown, many 17th century stone buildings remain. Among these is theSenate House, which was built in the 1670s and was used as the state capitol during the revolution. Many of these old buildings were burned by the British Oct. 17, 1777, and restored later. A controversial restoration of 1970s-era canopies was marred by the sudden appearance ofpainted red goats on planters just prior to the neighborhood's rededication.[19] This part of the city is also the location of the Ulster County Office Building.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 8.6 square miles (22 km2), of which 7.3 square miles (19 km2) is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2), or 15.03%, is water. The city is on the west bank of theHudson River. Neighboring towns includeHurley,Saugerties,Rhinebeck, andRed Hook.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 6,315 | — | |
| 1880 | 18,344 | 190.5% | |
| 1890 | 21,261 | 15.9% | |
| 1900 | 24,535 | 15.4% | |
| 1910 | 25,908 | 5.6% | |
| 1920 | 26,688 | 3.0% | |
| 1930 | 28,088 | 5.2% | |
| 1940 | 28,589 | 1.8% | |
| 1950 | 28,817 | 0.8% | |
| 1960 | 29,260 | 1.5% | |
| 1970 | 25,544 | −12.7% | |
| 1980 | 24,481 | −4.2% | |
| 1990 | 23,095 | −5.7% | |
| 2000 | 23,456 | 1.6% | |
| 2010 | 23,893 | 1.9% | |
| 2020 | 24,069 | 0.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[20] | |||
As of the 2010 census, the city had 23,887 people, 9,844 households, and 5,498 families. Thepopulation density was 3,189.5 persons per square mile (1,231.5 persons/km2). There were 10,637 housing units at an average density of 1,446.4 houses per square mile (558.5 houses/km2). The city's racial makeup was 73.2%White, 14.6%Black orAfrican American, 0.50%Native American, 1.80%Asian, 1.90% fromother races, and 5.00% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 13.4% of the population.
As of the 2000 census there were 9,871 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.3% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The city's median household income was $31,594, and the median family income was $41,806. Males had a median income of $31,634 versus $25,364 for females. The city'sper capita income was $18,662, with 12.4% of families and 15.8% of the population below thepoverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.
O+ Festival is a music and arts festival in Kingston.
Kingston Stockade FC is a men's semi-professional soccer club that competes in theNational Premier Soccer League in the fourth division of the US soccer pyramid. Kingston Stockade FC play their home games atDietz Stadium.[21]
In 1921, one time major league playerDutch Schirick organized a semi-professional team, the Colonels, in Kingston, New York. Major league teams would, on occasion, play exhibition games against the Kingston Colonels, and would sometimes recruit local talent.Bud Culloton became a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The city'sHasbrouck Park was created in 1920; it is 45 acres (18 ha) in area and includes a nature trail.
The government of Kingston consists of a mayor and city council known as the Common Council. The Common Council consists of 10 members, nine of which are elected from wards while one is elected at large. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote every four years.
Steve Noble was elected to the mayoral post in 2015.[22]
List of notable mayors:
| Name | Years Served | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| James Girard Lindsley | 1872-1877 | Lindsley Street named for him |
| William Lounsbery | 1878-1879 | Lounsbery Place named for him |
| Raymond W. Garraghan | Garraghan Drive named for him[23] | |
| Frank Koenig | -1979 | Frank Koenig Boulevard named for him[24] |
TheRoman Catholic Archdiocese of New York operates Catholic schools in Ulster County.John A. Coleman Catholic High School closed in 2019.[26] Kingston Catholic School is also in the community.
St. Joseph School in Kingston had 267 students in 2007.[27] It was originally scheduled to close in 2013. However the archdiocese reversed course and allowed it to stay open.[28] However, in 2017 the school ultimately did close.[29] By spring 2017 the school had 146 students. The would-be enrollment had dropped to 90 for the 2017–2018 school year. Kingston Catholic School acquired the newer St. Joseph building and turned it into its middle school facility.[27] The older building was put up for sale in 2019.[30]
The Kingston Center ofSUNY Ulster (KCSU) is a branch of the county's community college that offers programs, courses and certifications at a convenient Midtown location. KCSU is the new home for Police Basic Training and also offers human services, criminal justice and the general education courses required by the State of New York to satisfy the liberal arts core of an A.A. or A.S. degree.[31]
Commuter service is available by bus toNew York City daily viaTrailways of New York. The 90-mile trip takes roughly two hours by motor coach.
Passengerrailroad service toKingston Union Station was discontinued in 1958 when theNew York Central Railroad ended passenger service on theWest Shore Railroad, which ran on anAlbany—Kingston—Newburgh—Weehawken, New Jersey itinerary.Amtrak maintains service on the east side of the Hudson. TheRhinecliff–Kingston Amtrak station is about 11 miles (20 km) away, and there is also access to Amtrak at thePoughkeepsie station, on the east bank of the Hudson and about 17 miles (30 km) south. That station also serves as the northernmost terminus forMetro-North commuter trains.
CSX Transportation operates freight rail service through Kingston on the River Line Subdivision. A small rail yard containing seven tracks is operated in Kingston.
TheKingston-Rhinecliff Bridge, 4.32 miles (6.95 km) to the north, carriesNew York State Route 199 and is the nearest bridge traversing theHudson River.U.S. Highway 9W runs north–south through the city. TheNew York State Thruway, carrying theInterstate 87 designation through this section, runs through the western part of the city.
The area is served byKingston–Ulster Airport, located at the western base of the Kingston–Rhinecliff bridge. The nearest major airports to Kingston areStewart International Airport 39 miles (62.8 km) south in Newburgh, andAlbany International Airport, approximately 65 mi (105 km) north.[32] The three major metropolitan airports for New York City are located on western Long Island (LaGuardia Airport, approximately 80 mi (129 km) south andJohn F. Kennedy International, approximately 93 mi (150 km) south) and in New Jersey (Newark Liberty International,approximately 86 mi (138 km) south).
Local travel was supported by the city-owned CitiBus system (headquarters at 420 Broadway) provides city bus service, andUlster County Area Transit (UCAT) provides service to points elsewhere in Ulster County. RouteA travels between Kingston Plaza and Riverfront,B between Albany Avenue and Fairview Avenue, andC between Golden Hill and Port Ewen. The service was taken over by UCAT in 2019.[33]
Weekend water taxi service between Kingston andRhinecliff, New York is available May through October.[34] Some trips stop at theRondout Light.[35]
Kingston historically was an important transportation center for the region. The Hudson River, Rondout Creek andDelaware and Hudson Canal were important commercial waterways. At one time, Kingston was served by four railroad companies and two trolley lines. Kingston has been designated as aNew York State Heritage Area, with a transportation theme. TheHudson River Maritime Museum andTrolley Museum of New York are located along the waterfront and help interpret this historic role.
TheCatskill Mountain Railroad, a scenic railroad company, runs trains from Kingston to West Hurley on the formerUlster and Delaware right of way.
As of 2016[update], more than 12 projects were being coordinated among the Kingston Land Trust, Kingston City Government, and Ulster County Government, which will connect all three of Kingston's historic neighborhoods with a combination of rail trails, bike lanes andComplete Streets connections.[36]
Residents of the city and surrounding areas are served by the two hospital campuses of HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley, a 315-bed healthcare system:
HealthAlliance is part of theWestchester Medical Center Health Network, a 10-hospital, 1,700-bedHudson Valley-wide healthcare system.
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