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]

    Education and Outreach

    Listen to the Healthy Ulster Radio show which discussed climate change and the importance of local community resiliency with Julie Noble, Environmental Education and Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Kingston, and Betta Broad, Outreach Director for New Yorkers for Clean Power.

    Healthy Ulster Radio Show December 2018

     

    Environmental Education Programs 

    The City of Kingston’s Parks and Recreation Department offers residents and visitors a variety of Environmental Education opportunities, including experiences and programming through the Forsyth Nature Center, one of the only municipal nature centers in New York State.  Kingston’s Environmental Education program offers both indoor and outdoor experiences for school and youth groups, as well as adults, plus summer camps and a summer Junior Naturalist Program. To learn more visit the EnvironmentalEducation/Nature Center page. In 2017, 4713 community members participated in Environmental Education Programming with the City, including the Junior Naturalist Summer Program, which the staff direct annually.

    Public Events 

    In 2017, sustainability staff, in collaboration with community partners, developed, planned, organized, and executed several major public outreach events. Each of these events drew community members and regional visitors to the Kingston Parks System. Events include the Kingston Kayak Festival, Fall Festival and Earth Fair.

    2017 Conference on the Environment 

    The City of Kingston was proud to host the 2017 Conference on the Environment, a gathering of citizens, business owners, economic and environmental organization members and staff, local officials and staff, and members of municipal Conservation Councils and Boards and County Environmental Management Councils. With 38 presenters, November 17th was a busy day, with presentations on the Food Economy, Energy, Transportation, Flooding and Sea Level Rise, Land Trust/Municipal Collaborations, the Clean Energy Communities Program, Resiliency, Natural Resources Inventories and Sustainable Urbanism. For full access to the conference presentations, click here. Seventeen counties across the state were represented at this year’s event with 140 attendees. Attendees heard from key environmental leaders including EPA Region 2 Regional Administrator Pete Lopez, NYS Assemblymember Steve Otis, Ulster County Executive Michael Hein, Mayor Steve Noble, and philanthropist/Emmy award-winning musician/NY Times best-selling author Peter Buffett.

    Hosted at The Chateau, a magnificent event venue in historic Kingston, NY, the NYS Conference on the Environment has been held annually in NYS since at least 1972. Sponsored by the NYS Association of Conservation Commissions and the NYS Association of Environmental Management Councils and hosted by a local organization, 2017 marked the 45th year since this conference’s inception.