Kingston, New York

Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is 91 mi north of New York City and 59 mi south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British on October 16, 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. Passenger rail service has since ceased, and many of the older buildings are part of three historic districts, such as the Stockade District uptown, the Midtown Neighborhood Broadway Corridor, and the Rondout-West Strand Historic District downtown.

History
The city of Kingston was first called Esopus after a local Esopus tribe, then Wiltwijck (sometimes anglicized to Wiltwyck). Settled in 1651, it was one of the three large Hudson River settlements in New Netherland, the other two being Beverwyck, now Albany, and New Amsterdam, now New York City. In 1777, Kingston became the first capital of New York. During the summer of 1777, when the New York State constitution was written, New York City was occupied by British troops and Albany (then the second largest settlement in New York and capital of the newly independent State of New York) was under threat of attack by the British. To escape attack, the seat of government was moved downstream to Kingston, which was deemed safer. Ironically, the British never reached Albany, being stopped at Saratoga, but they did reach Kingston. On October 16, 1777, shortly after the Battle of Saratoga, the city was burned by British troops moving up the Hudson River from New York City, disembarking at the mouth of the Rondout Creek on the formation the Dutch had named Ponck Hockie. Contrary to popular belief there wasn't a large conflict between the townsfolk and the British invaders. This is because the denizens of Kingston knew of the oncoming fleet. The city had been evacuated by the time the British arrived, residents and the government having removed to Hurley, New York, which the British did not attack. Kingston celebrates and re-enacts the 1777 burning of the city by the British every other year (2015 is the next "burning" of Kingston), in an all-city theatrical staging of the event that begins at the Rondout.

The area was a major granary for the colonies at the time, so the British burned large amounts of wheat and all but one or two of the buildings. There is some debate over exactly how much of a fight was put up against the British; one third of the local militia regiment was still to the north at Saratoga, and one third was to the south manning several forts (which were captured days before by the British). This would have left approximately 150 militiamen to defend the city against approximately 2,000 British regulars.

The Dutch cultural influence in Kingston remained strong through the end of the nineteenth century.

Kingston officially became a city on May 29th, 1872 with the merger of the villages of Rondout and Kingston.

Bluestone, cement, and coal
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. Natural cement deposits were found throughout the valley, and in 1844 quarrying began in the "Ponchockie" section of Rondout. The Newark Lime and Cement Company shipped cement throughout the United States, a thriving business until the invention of the cheaper, quicker drying Portland Cement. Large warehouses of ice sat beside the Hudson river from which the ice was cut during the winter and preserved all year to be used in early refrigeration. Large brick making factories were also located close to this shipping hub. Rondout's central location as a shipping hub ended with the advent of railroads which ran through Rondout and Kingston but could transport their loads through the city without stopping.

Geography
Kingston has three recognized area neighborhoods. The Uptown Stockade Area, The Midtown Area, and The Downtown Waterfront Area. The Uptown Stockade Stockade District was the first capital of New York State. Meanwhile, the Midtown area is known for its early 20th century industries and plays home to the Ulster Performing Arts Center and the historic City Hall building. The downtown area, once the village of Rondout and now the Rondout-West Strand Historic District, borders the Rondout Creek and is home to recently redeveloped waterfront. The creek empties into the Hudson River through a large, protected tidal area which was the terminus of the Delaware and Hudson Canal, built to haul coal from Pennsylvania to New York City.

Downtown, called "the Rondout" because it was formerly Rondout, New York, is an artist community labeled by Business Week online as one of "America's best places for artists." It is home to a large number of art galleries. Kingston holds many festivals in the Rondout neighborhood, including the Kingston Jazz Festival and the Artists Soapbox Derby, and Drum Boogie.

Midtown is the largest of Kingston's neighborhoods and home to Kingston/Benedictine Hospital.

While the Uptown area is noted for its "antique" feeling, the overhangs attached to buildings along Wall and North Front streets were added to historic buildings in the late 1970s and are not authentically part of the 19th century Victorian architecture. The historic covered storefront walks, known as the Pike Plan, were recently reinforced and modernized with skylights. More notably in Uptown is the Stockade district, where many 17th century stone buildings remain. Most notable of these is the Senate House, which was built in the 1670s and was used as the state capital during the revolution. Many of these old buildings were burned by the British Oct. 17, 1777, and restored later. A controversial restoration of 1970s-era canopies was marred by the sudden appearance of painted red goats on planters just prior to the neighborhood's rededication. This part of the city is also the location of the Ulster County Office Building.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22.4 km2), of which 7.3 square miles (19.0 km2) is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2), or 15.03%, is water.

The city is on the west bank of the Hudson River. Neighboring towns include Hurley, Saugerties, Rhinebeck, and Red Hook.

Demographics
As of the of 2010 census, there were 23,887 people, 9,844 households, and 5,498 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,189.5 persons per square mile (1,232.2/km2). There were 10,637 housing units at an average density of 1,446.4 houses per square mile (558.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 73.2% White, 14.6% Black or African American, 0.50% Native American, 1.80% Asian, 1.90% from other races, and 5.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.4% of the population.

As per the 2000 census there were 9,871 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.3% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,594, and the median income for a family was $41,806. Males had a median income of $31,634 versus $25,364 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,662, with 12.4% of families and 15.8% of the population below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government
The government of Kingston consists of a mayor and city council known as the Common Council. The Common Council consists of 10 members, nine of which are elected from wards while one is elected at large. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote every four years.

Shayne Gallo was elected to the mayoral post in 2011.

Transportation
Commuter service is available by bus to New York City daily via Trailways of New York. The 90 mile trip takes roughly two hours by motor coach.

Passenger railroad service to Kingston itself has been discontinued for several decades. However, about 11 mi away is the Rhinecliff-Kingston Amtrak station, and 17 mi away is the Poughkeepsie Amtrak/Metro-North station. CSX Transportation operates freight rail service through Kingston on the River Line Subdivision. There is also a small rail yard of about 7 tracks in Kingston.

New York State Route 199 has the nearest bridge traversing the Hudson River, 4.32 mi to the north. U.S. Highway 9W runs north-south through the city. The New York State Thruway, also known at this section as Interstate 87, runs through the western part of the city.

The area is served by Kingston-Ulster airport (2ON), located at the western base of the Kingston-Rhinecliff bridge. The nearest major airports to Kingston are Stewart International Airport 39 mi south in Newburgh, and Albany International Airport approximately 65 miles (121 km) north. The three major metropolitan airports for New York City - John F. Kennedy International approximately 93 miles (149 km) south, Newark Liberty International approximately 86 miles (139 km) south, and LaGuardia Airport approximately 80 miles (129 km) south.

City bus service is provided by the city-owned CitiBus system (headquarters at 420 Broadway), while service to points elsewhere in Ulster County is provided by Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT). Route A travels between Kingston Plaza and Riverfront, B between Albany Avenue and Fairview Avenue, and C between Golden Hill and Port Ewen.

On the first Saturday of every month an "art bus" is available for a fare of $1. The bus, usually a CitiBus tourist trolley, takes passengers on a guided tour of the art galleries of Kingston. Kingston's art galleries all have openings on the first Saturday of the month.

Weekend water taxi service between Kingston and Rhinecliff, New York is available May through October for $10 round-trip. Some trips stop at the Rondout Light; a tour is available for an additional $5.

Kingston historically was an important transportation center for the region. The Hudson River, Rondout Creek and Delaware and Hudson Canal were important commercial waterways. At one time, Kingston was served by four railroad companies and two trolley lines. Kingston was designated as a New York State Heritage Area with a transportation theme and the Hudson River Maritime Museum and Trolley Museum of New York are located on the waterfront. Also, the Catskill Mountain Railroad, a scenic railroad company, runs trains from Kingston on the former Ulster and Delaware right of way.

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.

Sports
The Kingston Tigers are the city high school's sports teams.

Education

 * The Kingston City School District contains 11 elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school.
 * Kingston High School (Kingston, New York) is the city's public high school
 * Most students at John A. Coleman Catholic High School reside within the Kingston city school district.

Media

 * Newspapers
 * Kingston-based: Daily Freeman, Kingston Times
 * Outside Kingston:* ART TIMES, Poughkeepsie Journal, Times-Herald Record (Middletown)
 * See also: List of newspapers in New York in the 18th-century: Kingston
 * Television: Time Warner Cable Kingston Area Public-access television cable TV channel 23
 * Radio
 * Kingston-based: WGHQ (920 AM), WKNY (1490 AM), WKXP (94.3 FM)
 * Outside Kingston: WFGB (89.7 FM), WBPM (92.9 FM, Saugerties), WKZE-FM (98.1, Salisbury CT/Rhinebeck), WDST (100.1 FM, Woodstock).
 * Magazines: Chronogram
 * Music Festivals: O+ Festival

Health and medical

 * Kingston Hospital
 * Benedictine Hospital

Actors, musicians and others in the entertainment industry

 * Peter Bogdanovich (b. 1939) a film director, writer and actor, was born in town.
 * Robert Craft (b. 1923) an American conductor and writer who worked and had a livelong friendship with composer Igor Stravinsky, recording a number of his works. Craft was born in the city.
 * Paul Austin Kelly (b. 1960) Opera tenor, jazz singer, children's music performer and impresario
 * Paul Kreppel (b. 1947) Television and Broadway theatre director and actor born in the city.
 * Joseph Kesselring (1902–1967), a writer and playwright best known for his play Arsenic and Old Lace, died in the city.
 * Elissa Landi (1904–1948), an Italian born actress was popular in Hollywood films of the 1920s and 1930s, died of cancer in the city.
 * Pauline Oliveros Composer, performer and humanitarian is an important pioneer in American Music. Acclaimed internationally, for four decades she has explored sound—forging new ground for herself and others.(from website)

Politics, political activism, government service

 * George Clinton (1739–1812), fourth vice president of the United States and first elected governor of New York State, is buried in the city at the Old Dutch Church.
 * Charles DeWitt (1727–1789), a miller and statesman from Kingston, served as a delegate to the Continental Congress.
 * Abraham Bruyn Hasbrouck (1791–1879), a U.S. Congressman and the sixth President of Rutgers College (now Rutgers University), was born and died in the city.
 * Alton B. Parker (1852–1926), Democratic presidential nominee in 1904, practiced law in the city and was the first president of the Ulster County Bar Association. Also president of Ulster County Savings Institution for eight years. He not only lost the election, he didn't even carry Ulster County.
 * John Van Buren (1799–1855), US Congressman

Others



 * Joe Ausanio, (b. 1965), pitcher for the New York Yankees during the 1990s was born and grew up in Kingston. Half brother of major leaguer Paul Runge.
 * Gerald Celente, (b. 1946), publisher of the world famous Trends Journal has predicted trends like the rise of Starbucks and the crash of 08.
 * Heywood Hale Broun (1918–2001) a sportswriter and commentator, died in the city.
 * Robert H. Dietz (1921–1945), United States Army soldier and Medal of Honor recipient in World War II
 * Mike Ferraro (b. 1944), a third baseman for the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers, and later coach for the Kansas City Royals, was born in the city.
 * Ezra Fitch (1866–1930), the "Fitch" in "Abercrombie & Fitch, practiced law in Kingston before leaving to join Abercrombie in his wilderness outfitting store in New York City in 1900. He bought out Abercrombie in 1907.
 * Charles Freer (1854–1919), who donated his art collection to the Smithsonian Institution, was born in Kingston. The Freer Gallery of Art, part of the Smithsonian, was named after him.
 * Walter B. Gibson (1897-1985), American author and professional magician, most famous for his pulp fiction character, The Shadow.
 * Brian Kenny (b. 1963), a journalist who anchors Friday Night Fights and ESPNEWS' The Hot List, previously worked for WTZA in the city.
 * Edgar F. Luckenbach (1868-1943), Shipping magnate, Luckenbach Steamship Company.
 * Jervis McEntee (1828–1891), a painter of the Hudson River School, is buried in Montrepose Cemetery in the city.
 * Evaline Ness (1911–1986) an illustrator and author who won a Caldecott Medal in 1967 for Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine, and who was married to Untouchable Eliot Ness from 1938–1946, died in the city.
 * Maud Petersham (1890–1971), who won the Caldecott Medal with her husband and coauthor, Miska Petrezselyem Mikaly, in 1946 for "The Rooster Crows", was born in Kingston.
 * Andrée Ruellan (1905–2006), a painter whose works are in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum, died in the city.
 * Paul Runge Jr., (b. 1958), infielder for the Atlanta Braves during the 1980s and manager of several minor league teams was born and grew up in Kingston. Half brother of major leaguer Joe Ausanio.
 * Ron Suskind, journalist and writer (b. 1959)
 * Anne Sweeney (b. 1957), Co-Chair of Disney Media Networks and President of the Disney-ABC Television Group, who has been named the "Most Powerful Woman in Entertainment" by The Hollywood Reporter, and one of the "50 Most Powerful Women in Business" by Fortune magazine and one of "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women" by Forbes, spent her childhood in Kingston and is a graduate of Kingston's Coleman High School.
 * John Vanderlyn (1776–1852), a neoclassicist painter, was born in the city.
 * Calvert Vaux (1824–1895), a noted architect and landscape designer; co-designer of Central Park, NYC; buried in Kingston's Montrepose Cemetery.
 * Kate Youngman (1841-1910), a Christian missionary to Japan who established the Ihaien leprosy hospital in Tokyo, Japan.