Uptown Stockade District

Kingston’s Uptown neighborhood is where visitors will find many fine examples of America’s early colonial history.  The first permanent settlement was built in 1652.  Governor Stuyvesant ordered the original stockade built in 1658 to protect the early settlers from local Indian attacks.  Originally called Wiltwyck, Uptown Kingston is the largest remaining example of early Dutch settlement in New York State.  In 1777, Uptown Kingston’s Senate House is where the first capital of New York was established, and visitors can explore many historic sites and museums that represent that era.

Uptown Kingston today is a thriving neighborhood with many shops, restaurants, museums, galleries, music venues, farmers’ markets, festivals and more.  Though abundant public parking is available, the area is best enjoyed on foot.  It boasts a highly diverse range of architectural details for visitors to explore, a chronology of American architecture that spans four centuries: from the early Dutch and English, to Federalist, Georgian, Greek Revival, Victorian, Romanesque, Italianate, Neo-Classical, Art Deco and Contemporary.