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

    6/14/2024 - Winning Design for Post Office Park Small Monument Competition

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    June 14, 2024

     

    Winning Design for Post Office Park Small Monument Competition Announced

     

    KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the winning design of the Post Office Park Small Monument Competition is by Hudson Valley sculptor and architect Richard Scherr.

    Richard Scherr was an architect and instructor of architectural design for over 40 years and is an author on design theory. He currently practices as a sculptor in his Kingston area studio.

    “We are honored and fortunate, through the American Rescue Plan Act, to be able to commission the creation of a public artwork commemorating the original post office,” said Mayor Noble. “This sculpture will highlight the crucial role our architectural assets play in Kingston’s cultural heritage—and also our commitment to advancing a vibrant and enduring arts sector for the entire community.”

    Launched in April, the Small Monument Competition called for proposed monument concepts to be fabricated and permanently installed at the new Post Office Park, which is currently being constructed at the corner of Broadway and Prince Street. Applicants were asked to provide design concepts that pay homage to the post office that stood on the site but was razed during urban renewal in 1970. Built between 1904-1908, the building was a notable limestone and granite structure with a rounded façade with Classical and Beaux Arts elements.

    Fabricated in steel, the work will feature a representation of the iconic post office cupola, leaning as if in a state of falling, and supported with eight poles symbolizing resistance to the building's destruction. It will be placed on a round pedestal near the entrance to Post Office Park’s south side at Broadway and Grand Street.

    “My goal with this project is to provide a visual reminder of the building, using the cupola to represent this treasured example of historic architecture that was lost," said Scherr. “Together, the cupola and supporting poles will be a visceral statement not only of the destruction, but also the redeeming spirit of resistance to such an act, in the hope that it never be allowed to happen again.”

    In the coming months, Scherr will finalize the design and work with his fabricator to create final drawings that will be posted on EngageKingston.com. Installation at Post Office Park is expected to take place in late June 2025.

    The Post Office Park Small Monument Competition was made possible with funding from the U.S. Treasury through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

    More information at https://engagekingston.com/post-office-park-small-monument-competition-winner-announced.

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