The Kingston Historical Society
Kingston, New Jersey
News or events in Kingston which we participate in or promote
With the appointment of George Washington as Commander in Chief, Kingston’s moments in the American Revolution begin. Our web page:
KHSNJ.ORG/250th will list moments in history involving our crossroads. Stay tuned for more!
Download the latest Kingston Historian from our Archives Page
Or click HERE
Six short (20 minute) videos came out of the Kingston Historical Society’s “Tea Time Talk” series this winter. The videos are stored on Archive.org, and freely viewable (no commercials, no paywall.) You can also download them to your computer, or share the links with friends and fellow Kingstonians.
All talks were recorded at the Kingston United Methodist Church, Kingston, New Jersey. We thank them for providing the hall and space for tea and conversation. Thanks to Doug Miller for recording the February talks. Direct links shown at the end of each description
Mapleton, Preserved: Karen Linder, president of the Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands, speaks on the preservation of land along Mapleton Road in Kingston. https://archive.org/details/mapleton-preserved
Everybody Wanted the King’s Town: KHS Secretary Charlie Dieterich traces the evolution of boundaries in Kingston– from the first English settlement to modern Girl Scout Cookie distribution. https://archive.org/details/everybody-wanted-the-kings-town
Bottled in Kingston: Kingston resident Alexandria Trevena shares research which started when she bought a bottle online. Learn about a half dozen bottle companies with links to Kingston. https://archive.org/details/bottled-in-kingston
The Kingston Green Belt: Tari Panaleo, president of the Kingston Greenways Association, describes the evolution of a preserved greenbelt around the village center of Kingston. https://archive.org/details/kingston-greenbelt-2025
Kingston in the American Revolution: Local historian and vice president of the Kingston Historical Society. He gives a brief overview of how the warring armies used the village of Kingston during the Revolutionary War. https://archive.org/details/kingston-in-the-american-revolution-2025
The Road Through Kingston in 1679: Kristina Hill, member of the archivist team, shares diary entries from Jasper Dankers. His was the first written description of the route from Piscataway to Trenton, NJ. Charlie Dieterich adds context. https://archive.org/details/road-thru-kingston-1679
Although the day was cool and damp, our Locktender’s House opening day “open house” was a wonderful success.
Visitors from New Jersey and beyond saw our press release in local papers (including page 4 of Town Topics, page 10 of US1) and came in spite of the misty rain.
Members of the Historical Society trustees and archivists pitched in to set up, bring refreshments and do demonstrations using our canal lock and swing bridge models. About two dozen visitors enjoyed a cold drink, a brownie or a Toll House Cookie.
Our archivist team provided demonstrations using two study models built by Paul Kane for the D&R Canal State Park twenty years ago.
The opening day celebration is a reminder that our historical society exists to educate the community. History is learned by sharing stories. We are thankful for those who braved the weather to visit!
Also thanks to Archivist Bob B. and his son Nick who helped set up, and Sheila for the cookies!
Charlie
The Locktender’s House on the Delaware and Raritan Canal at the Kingston bridge is closed from December through March, so on April 5th we celebrate the re-opening of our display rooms.
Our open house begins at 10 AM and runs through 5 PM, with demonstration models of the Kingston swing bridge and canal lock.
You are welcome to come browse our current displays:
Three talks from Sunday afternoon, February 23, 2025 are now available as videos hosted on Archive.org.
– The Road Through Kingston in 1679 -Kristina Hill and Charlie Dieterich read from the 1679 travel diary of Jasper Danckaerts CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO LINK
– The Kingston Green Belt -Tari Pantaleo, president Kingston Greenways Association CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO LINK
– Kingston in the American Revolution (1776-1783) – George Luck, VP, Kingston Historical Society CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO LINK
And come to the March 23rd Tea Time Talks! FOR MORE INFORMATION, CLICK HERE!
Because the January 19 session of the Kingston Heritage Series Tea Time Talks was snowed out, we will be re-planning the February 23rd and March 23rd sessions. If you wish to be updated, fill out the form at: khsnj.org/teatime
Annual Meeting November 12 at Kingston Fire House (Video added)
2024 KHS Annual meeting was held at 7:30 pm on Tuesday November 12th at the Kingston Firehouse; our speaker was D&R Canal Commission Executive Director John Hutchison, who gave an illustrated presentation including new drone video of the D&R Canal.
The full talk is available at: FULL PRESENTATION LINK
The drone video is available at: THIS LINK
John Hutchison, Executive Director of the Delaware & Raritan Canal Commission will present an illustrated program on the Commission. He will describe its role in preserving the Canal and its corridor and the process of a new master plan. The MasterPlan was last updated in 1989. As part of that process, the Canal is being documented by drone. A new video taken by drone,“Taking Flight on the D&R Canal: Raven Rock to Prallsville Mills” will be shown.
2024 is the 50th Anniversary of both the D&R Canal State Park and The D&R Canal Commission. Both the Park and the Commission were established by the D&R Canal State Park Law of 1974. The Park is the second most used State Park in New Jersey. Many are familiar with the Park. People are less familiar with the Commission and its mission to “prepare, adopt, and implement a master plan for the physical development of the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, review State and local actions that impact on the park to insure that these actions conform as nearly as possible to the Commission’s master plan, and coordinate and support activities by citizens’ groups to promote and preserve the Park.” The Commission’s regulations and continuing actions are essential in preserving not just a historic canal and a park, but a unique corridor of natural, historic and recreational resources in the center of the most densely populated state in the nation.
John Hutchison was appointed the fourth Executive Director of the Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission in 2017. He advises the Commission on its actions and serves as the chief administrative officer of the Commission. He is assisted by and oversees the operations of a professional staff of administrative and engineering personnel from the Commission’s office at the historic Prallsville Mills complex in Stockton, New Jersey. Prior to his appointment, he served as a Senior Policy Advisor to the Commissioner of Environmental Protection.
The October 19,2024 walk along the D&R Canal was a big success!
The weather was perfect for walking, and we had a good crowd gathered. They heard about the event in US1, Princeton Online, South Brunswick Patch and by word of mouth. Fall foliage was neary at its peak.
The “Walk the Lock” event began in the Locktender’s house with Robert von Zumbusch and George Luck demonstrating our models of the Lock and the A-frame bridge.
Then Charlie Dieterich described the A-frame bridge, which carried the Lincoln Highway through Kingston. He took the group across the “new” bridge that replaced the Swing bridge over the canal and upstream to the canal’s turning basin and the Carnegie Lake dam.
Doug made a short video of some still images and George reading from a 1918 newspaper article concerning the bridge at Kingston. During the First World War the canal was guarded by New Jersey national guardsmen, as it was a military asset.
The story of the suspected spy was discovered by Markus McParland while researching his BOOK.
It all seems unreal (like the music)!
Thanks to Sharon Hansen, there were refreshments too!
The Kingston Historical Society will host an easy stroll focusing on historic structures of the Delaware and Raritan Canal in the Kingston area.
South Brunswick Patch
Come see the history and learn how the canal worked. Led by Robert von Zumbusch, president of the Kingston Historical Society and Charlie Dieterich, Society secretary and archivist, the mile-long journey will begin and end at the Kingston Locktender’s House, just off Route 27 at the foot of the Kingston hill, near 4492 Route 27, Princeton.
Participants will walk on the D & R Canal towpath and other paths that may be muddy, so appropriate footwear is advised. There will also be an opportunity to see the canal exhibits and a demonstration of models of the lock and original A-Frame bridge in the Locktender’s House.
The event is free and open to all. Children should be carefully supervised near the canal and its structures. Parking is available in the State Park lots, along the road, and also across Route 27 in the Flemer Preserve. Light refreshments will be served.
On Sunday, September 15th, the Delaware and Raritan canal was bustling with activity as canal-related groups created a “Canal House Challenge” This was part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the D&R Canal State Park and D&R Canal Commission.
D & R Canal Watch was the organizing group, while The friends groups opened five bridgetender and locktender homes: East Millstone, Blackwells Mills, Griggstown, Kingston, and Port Mercer were opened for tours.
Visitors wishing to participate in the challenge received a “Passport” to be stamped at each house. Those who visited all five received a small prize.
Five members of the Kingston Historical Society greeted visitors (with and without Passports) and explained the displays and our canal study models. Shown below are Robert von Zumbusch and Charlie Dieterich demonstrating the Kingston Lock and Swing Bridge models.
Some visitors were heading north (downstream) from Port Mercer in Lawrence Township (opened by the Lawrence Historical Society) going to East Millstone. Others started in Kingston or traveled upstream from East Millstone to Port Mercer.
Over forty groups came through to see the displays. Thanks to all who prepared the Locktender’s House for the open house and those who made cookies (not shown)!
A new display celebrating the Canal Commission and the State Park has been added to our center room. Come by on Saturday or Sunday to see it and all the displays at the Kingston Locktender’s House.