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

    5/17/2022 - City of Kingston Bestows Third Distinguished Artist Award

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    May 17, 2022

     

    City of Kingston Bestows Third Distinguished Artist Award

     

    KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble the Kingston Arts Commission are pleased to announce the recipient of the third bi-annual City of Kingston Distinguished Artist Award will be presented to performance artist Jaguar Mary X. The Distinguished Artist Award ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 26 at 5:30pm in Council Chambers at City Hall.

    “Our local artists are a big component of Kingston’s unique spirit and contribute greatly to our City’s character and charm,” said Mayor Noble. “I am pleased to support our creative community and to present this award to a talented artist. Congratulations to Jaguar Mary X for this deserved honor.”

    Marielena Ferrer-Harrington, Chair of the Arts Commission said, “The Kingston Arts Commission is proud to have initiated the Distinguished Artist Award and congratulates Jaguar Mary who combines commitment to the art form with a commitment to the City's cultural life.”

    Jaguar Mary X (they/them) is a performance artist, glossolalia vocalist, filmmaker, and hoop dancer. Their specific concerns, and the directives that have driven their art practice, engage black feminist discourse, questions of history, and ritual performance and practice in art. Jaguar Mary has shown and performed internationally at the Johannesburg and Havana Biennials, the New Museum, Museum of Modern Art, KARST Gallery in the UK and Dietch Projects in New York. In 2020, they were commissioned to make work for the Public Art Fund and the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. They also received grants from the Jerome Foundation and the New York Foundation for the Arts. Jaguar Mary is a graduate of the Whitney Independent Study Program, has an MFA in Film and Video from California Institute for the Arts, and received a full scholarship from Pratt Institute and completed an MFA in Performance and Performance Studies in May 2019. Jaguar Mary X is a Kingston resident.

    The panel for the Distinguished Artist Award was comprised of five Kingston residents: Dominick Hiddo, painter; Brian Mahoney, editor; Kai Navarette, visual artist; Sarah Reiter, writer/director; and Laura Victoria Ward, choreographer/dancer.

    This event is open to the public. For more information, visit www.kingston-ny.gov/distinguishedartists 

    The City of Kingston Arts Commission’s mission is to strengthen the local economy by attracting and promoting artists, arts venues, and arts entrepreneurs; encouraging cultural tourism; creating opportunities for training and employment in a range of creative fields; and enhancing quality of life amenities that make Kingston a more attractive city in which to live. By so doing, the City of Kingston gains greater regional and national recognition.