Featured: Spring Talk: 100 Years of the Kingston Volunteer Fire Company May 14th — View Video
The Kingston Historical Society celebrated the centennial of the Kingston Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 with Chief George Luck Jr. (retired) speaking at the firehouse and via Zoom.
A video of the presentation is now available HERE
The video file is hosted on Archive.org, a non-profit repository for community videos. Consider donating a few dollars to them!
The KHSNJ archive also has items related to the 100th anniversary, view that collection HERE
New Displays for 2024 at the Lock Tender’s House:
“100 Years of Volunteers-The Kingston Volunteer Fire Co.” Fire Company and community memories from 100 years of KVFC.
![](https://www.khsnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/PIX_20240511_085844-DisplayTim-300x208.jpg)
“Kingston’s Lock: History Preserved- Photos and Drawings from 1936 re-interpreted for the 21st Century” Drawings, Photographs and Text documenting the D&R Canal Lock in Kingston, NJ.
![The Miter Gate Lock installed on the Delaware and Raritan Canal, photographed in 1936 as part of a WPA Historic American Buildings Survey. The Lock-Tender's house is visible in the background.](https://www.khsnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/master-pnp-habshaer-nj-nj0500-nj0579-photos-108147pu-processed800-300x215.jpg)
The Lock Tender’s House displays are now open weekends from 10 to 5.
Interested in helping? Learn how to JOIN us, or VOLUNTEER.
Our website includes a list of upcoming EVENTS, information about our HISTORICAL SOCIETY and about KINGSTON NEW JERSEY and recent news in our “TELEGRAPH BLOG“, covering the Historical Society and the Community of Kingston.
Latest Historical Society News (Blog Posts)
- Lock-Tender’s House display featured in local paper
- Video of Spring Talk now online!
- 100 Years of Volunteers-Opens
- Open House Weekend a Success
- New Exhibit coming April 6, 2024
(Older posts are available HERE)
Kingston Presbyterian Church 300th year event
![](https://www.khsnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/line-drawing-Kingston-Presbyterian.jpg)
Kingston Locktender’s House open weekends from April 1st to November 30th.
Want to volunteer to join in the work of the Society?
(CLICK THIS LINK to learn more)
![Main Street Kingston descends to the D&R Canal, early 20th century](https://www.khsnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Kingston-swing-bridge-detail.jpg)
From the Telegraph – Recent Blog Topics:
- Lock-Tender’s House display featured in local paperUS 1 newspaper and PrincetonInfo.com featured an article on the Kingston Lock and our current … Continue reading “Lock-Tender’s House display featured in local paper”
- Video of Spring Talk now online!The Kingston Historical Society celebrated the centennial of the Kingston Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 … Continue reading “Video of Spring Talk now online!”
- 100 Years of Volunteers-OpensA new display “100 Years of Volunteers-The Kingston Volunteer Fire Co.” is now up in … Continue reading “100 Years of Volunteers-Opens”
- Open House Weekend a SuccessApril 6 and 7, 2024 was opening weekend for displays at the Kingston Lock-Tender’s House. … Continue reading “Open House Weekend a Success”
- New Exhibit coming April 6, 2024The Kingston Lock-Tender’s House display space opens for the the season on April 6 with … Continue reading “New Exhibit coming April 6, 2024”
- Our Archive Site Temporarily Down- Restored!Kingston Historical Society operates a second website, archive.khsnj.org which holds older materials. We are working … Continue reading “Our Archive Site Temporarily Down- Restored!”
- Archiving… and youThe Kingston Historical Society (KHS) was formed in 1997 as a non-partisan, non-profit organization to … Continue reading “Archiving… and you”
- Holiday Tree Lighting- 2023The weather cleared just in time for our community tree lighting, Sunday December 3rd, 2023. … Continue reading “Holiday Tree Lighting- 2023”
- Annual Meeting Talk Video now AvailableYou can view Markus McParland’s talk on our video page: https://www.khsnj.org/community-collection-for-kingston-nj-2023-video/ Thanks to Markus for … Continue reading “Annual Meeting Talk Video now Available”
... Looking for an older “Telegraph” Blog Post? Click HERE for a full list.
About the Society
The Kingston Historical Society (KHS) was formed in 1997 as a non-partisan, non-profit organization to preserve, enhance and promote the history of the village of Kingston, New Jersey.
Consider Volunteering! Learn More HERE or become a member (see below.)
KHS Ongoing Activities:
Locktender’s House Open Weekends
The Kingston Locktender’s House is normally open to the public every weekend during warmer weather.
The Locktender’s House will be open on Saturdays, Sundays and major holidays from 10 am to about 5 pm. It closes for the winter on December 1st, but will be open for our annual Holiday Tree Lighting.
Note that the building had no air conditioning and minimal air circulation. Please maintain social distancing. Also, there is no bathroom available in the Locktender’s House. The nearest bathroom is a portajohn in the parking lot across the entrance road, maintained by the State Park. It is sometimes removed during the winter.
To find the Locktender’s House on your mapping software, try this address: 39 Old Lincoln Highway, Princeton, NJ 08540, or GPS: 40°22’25.9″N 74°37’06.7″W Or look for it at the D&R Canal at the foot of the Kingston hill.
View Videos of Earlier Programs
Follow THIS LINK to see a list of recordings from past events.
![](https://www.khsnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Kingston-swing-bridge-detail.jpg)
This Website:
- Announces upcoming events
- Preserves reports of Kingston Historical Society activities
- Archives information about Kingston, New Jersey’s history
- Provides information about our Society
(Photo: A frame bridge at the Kingston Lock, ~ 1901)
Donate or Become a Member!
Members help us survive.
![canal barge print](https://www.khsnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/canalwoodblockprint-1024x471.jpg)
”History is who we are and why we are the way we are..” –David McCullough
We wouldn’t survive without the generous donations and contributions from our donors and patrons. The Kingston Historical Society (KHS) was formed in 1997 as a 501(c)3 non-partisan, non-profit organization to preserve, enhance and promote the history of the village of Kingston. The KHS has its headquarters in the Locktender’s House on the Delaware and Raritan Canal in New Jersey where it maintains the original circa 1830 home of families who operated the Kingston locks on the canal.
Our exhibits, the maintenance of the Locktender’s house, and our programs are produced and managed by volunteers in collaboration with numerous local historians and craftsmen.