Kingston is nestled between the western edge of the Hudson River and the eastern rise of the Catskill mountain range. It’s an area famous first and foremost for its natural beauty, thanks to the 700,000 acres of forest land forever protected by New York law.
A pictorial map of Kingston, 1845; Source: Wikipedia.
Locals are rightly proud to call it home. In the fall, it’s one of the finest places to see the changing of the leaves, and throughout the year, folks take advantage of recreation and respite in nature.
But of course, there’s more to any place than initially meets the eye so here we’re building a growing list of helpful resources we’ve been pointed towards (often by Keapers like you!) to get to know Kingston and the Hudson Valley on a deeper level.
Kingston History
- Lost Roundout Project — a fascinating documentary about the history of Kingston’s Rondout (Waterfront) neighborhood. In the post-war years, Roundout was a thriving, low-income neighborhood full of community bonds. In the 1960s it was forcibly raised by government officials as part of a federally funded urban renewal project. Thousands were displaced and the legacy of these decisions is still felt today by local residents.
- Friends of Historic Kingston — Formed in 1965 in response to the risks of urban renewal on the history and stories of Kingston, Friends of Historic Kingston acts to preserve and highlight landmarks and local history by providing education and advocacy for the City of Kingston. See a recent exhibit on “The IBM Years” which received a 2015 Award for Excellence from the Greater Hudson Heritage Network.
- The Kingston Land Trust — The Land Trust is a not-for-profit that helps protect environmentally and socially significant land through perpetual stewardship. This means that the land they buy is protected for the common good, forever.
Hudson Valley History
- The Island at the Center of the World — a rich and unflinching history of the settlement by the Dutch of New Netherlands (Albany, Kingston, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and beyond), and how this shaped modern America.
Please share further resources with us so we can continue to learn more about Kingston and the surrounding area!
