The Kingston Historical Society

Kingston: 7 PM Christmas Eve Candlelight 2024 (Presbyterian)
2024-12-24 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Kingston Presbyterian Church, 4565 Route 27, Kingston, New Jersey, 08528, United States
KPC Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 7:00 PM In person and Online. Pastor Sharyl with KPC children, youth and collegians will lead KPC’s Traditional Candlelight Service.

This Kingston Community Event is posted for your information. For updates see the Kingston Presbyterian Church website

Main Street, Kingston NJ

Kingston: 4PM Christmas Eve 2024 (United Methodist)
2024-12-24 16:00 - 18:00 | NJ
The Kingston United Methodist Church, 9 Church St. Kingston, NJ will hold a “Service of Story and Song” at 4 PM on Christmas Eve.

This Kingston Community Event is posted for your information. For updates see the Kingston United Methodist Church website

Kingston: Christmas Bird Count
2024-12-15 07:30 - 16:00 | NJ
The Kingston segment of this year’s Audubon Christmas Bird Count begins at 7:30 AM to catch the “early birds”. We will meet at the Lock Tender’s House (near the intersection of Rt. 27 and the D&R Canal State Park in Kingston) and bird until noon, when we take a break for lunch at Urban Spice on Route 27 in Kingston Center. The group then continues with the count in the afternoon. You can join us for the morning, lunch, afternoon, or all of them.
https://kingstongreenways.org/

This Kingston Community Event is posted for your information. For updates see the Kingston Greenways Association website

Kingston: "Holiday Belles" Concert
2024-12-08 19:00 - 21:00 | NJ
The Kingston Women’s Chorus, Heather Robbins, Director, presents “Holiday Belles” Concert and Community Carol SIngalong.

Methodist Church (from an old postcard)

At the Kingston United Methodist Church, 9 Church Street, Kingston NJ 08528. They are celebrating “20 years of holiday cheer… and a partridge in a pear tree”

Free, donations welcome. Reception to follow.

REPORT:

It was a blast! Well attended and great singing.

Kingston Women’s Chorus Christmas Concert, 2024 (C. Dieterich photo)

Posted as a Kingston Community event

Kingston: Craft Fair
2024-12-07 09:00 - 14:00 | Kingston Fire House, 8 Heathcote Road, Kingston, NJ, 08528, United States
The Ladies Auxiliary of the Kingston Volunteer Fire Company will hold a Craft Fair at the Kingston Firehouse.

Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive at 11 AM and stay until 1 PM

Contact the Ladies regarding tables.

Posted as a Kingston Community event.

Kingston Fire House on local map

Holiday Tree Lighting 2024
2024-12-01 16:30 - 18:00 | NJ
Annual Celebration of winter season at the Kingston Lock, first Sunday in December.

Map of Kingston and Canal Area with Lock-Tender’s House (arrow)

Final 2024 Weekend for Locktender's House Displays
2024-11-30 10:00 - 16:00 | NJ
The Kingston Locktender’s House displays are open Saturdays and Sundays from April through November.

One of the displays in the center room celebrates 50 years of the D&R Canal State Park and Canal Commission

Note that the Kingston Locktender’s House will be open on December 1 at 4:30 PM for the Kingston Holiday Tree Lighting reception.

Kingston: Thanksgiving Day Walk
2024-11-28 10:00 - 11:30 | Mapleton Preserve, 145 Mapleton Road, Kingston, New Jersey, 08528, United States
From https://fpnl.org Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands:

What do turkeys eat for Thanksgiving? We will take an easy 1.5 mile walk through the fields, looking for things that turkeys might eat for dinner. Meet at Mapleton Preserve, 145 Mapleton Road in Kingston. Free and all are welcome!

The Thanksgiving morning walk is an annual, family friendly event!

Kingston: UMC "Celebrating Our History"
2024-11-17 10:30 - 12:30 | NJ
The Kingston United Methodist Church is holding a special service.

Shannon Katz-Dean, 4th year dual enrollment seminarian and member of K.U.M.C., will deliver the Sunday message centering on the history of the Kingston United Methodist Church.

Will include a display of pictures.

Church is located at 9 Church St., Kingston, NJ across from the cemetery at NJ Route 27. Parking is available next to the church and along Church Street (street is one-way; enter from Route 27).

Early 20th Century Post Card in KHS Collection showing Kingston M. E. Church

KHS Annual Meeting and Talk
2024-11-12 19:30 - 21:00 | Kingston Fire House, 8 Heathcote Road, Kingston, NJ, 08528, United States
D&R Canal Commission Executive Director John Hutchison to speak at Firehouse

2024 KHS Annual meeting at 7:30 pm on Tuesday November 12th at the Kingston Firehouse; our speaker will be D&R Canal Commission Executive Director John Hutchison, who will give an illustrated presentation including new drone photographs of the Canal.

Read his Bio HERE

Program will be in person at the Kingston Fire House and also available via Zoom.

Kingston Fire House on local map

To attend via Zoom you must pre-register.

Click this Button:

How TO REgister

Or follow this link: https://www.khsnj.org/talk/#to-attend-via-zoom-meeting

Canal: Geology walk and talk along the D&R Canal
2024-11-03 10:00 - 13:00 | NJ
Geology walk and talk along the D&R Canal east of Rocky Hill. Meet at the parking lot just south of the intersection of Kingston-Rocky Hill Road and Washington Street.

Much of the walk will be along the tow path, however, the walk will include short hikes up and down steep hills to view diabase rock outcrops.

Walk led by Pierre Lacombe, retired USGS geologist
https://www.canalwatch.org/event/geology-walk-and-talk/

Event organized by D & R Canal Watch, posted for community interest.

D&R Canal parking lot is near the intersection of Route 518, Canal Road and Kingston-Rocky Hill Road, in Franklin (Somerset) NJ.

D&R Canal: Aqueduct Loop Walk
2024-10-27 14:00 - 16:00 | NJ
Join members of the Kingston Greenways Association for an easy one-mile loop walk around the Millstone aqueduct off Mapleton Road for autumn tree appreciation and some canal history, too.

Led by Karen Linder, the walk begins at the Aqueduct parking lock for the D&R Canal at 732 Mapleton Road Princeton (actually Plainsboro, NJ) Details at https://kingstongreenways.org/

This canal related event is posted for community interest.

Rockingham: Preserving the Harvest
2024-10-26 13:00 - 16:00 | NJ
The Rockingham Association is planing a special event “Preserving the Harvest” Food preervation techizues & equipment of the 18th century with Suaan Plaisted of Heart to Harth Cookery.

The event was held in the barn room, with demonstrations of pickling, drying and making hardtack,

Rockingham State Historic Site is on Kingston-Rocky Hill Road, between Kingston and Rocky Hill (take Laurel Ave, route 603 from Kingston) for more visitor information see: https://www.rockingham.net/visitor-information

D&R CANAL: Tour de Towpath (bike/run)
2024-10-26 10:00 - 15:00 | NJ
Event sponsored by D&R Canal Watch canalwatch.org

From the Tour-de-towpath-2024 website:Cadwalader Park – Trenton

Help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 70-mile-long D&R Canal State Park

The canal towpath is hard-packed super flat gravel pathway, 6 ft. wide. Participate in a non-competitive, outdoor of varying lengths, up to 50 miles.

In Kingston:

The 50 mile bicycle ride will come up the canal towpath from Trenton heading to Colonial Park, Franklin Township, then return to Trenton. Expect increased bicycle traffic along the canal on that day.

Register at: https://www.bikereg.com/tour-de-towpath-2024

Posted for community interest.

Exploring the Kingston Lock Area
2024-10-19 14:00 - 15:00 | Locktender’s House Kingston, NJ, 39 Old Lincoln Highway, 08540, Kingston, New Jersey
Walk the Lock!

Exploring the Kingston Lock Area

Join KHS officers Robert von Zumbusch and Charlie Dieterich on an easy Saturday Afternoon walk around the Kingston Lock, showing what is still there and what was once there.

Locktender’s House, Toll/Telegraph House and replacement bridge at Kingston Lock.

This easy stroll will focus on historic structures of the Delaware and Raritan Canal in the Kingston area. Come see the history and learn how the canal worked.

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 (GPS location: 4492 Route 27, Princeton.)

Map of Kingston and Canal Area with Locktender’s House (arrow) Parking is behind and beside the Locktender’s House. Flemer Preserve parking is on north side of Lincoln Highway/Main Street/Route 27.

Participants will walk on the D & R Canal towpath and other paths that are flat, but 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.

The walk with be “rain shower or shine” – if needed, bring an umbrella. In the event of heavy rain, we’ll talk inside and point out the windows.

Kingston: Natural Mandalas
2024-10-13 14:00 - 16:00 | NJ
The Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands will hold a workshop at the Mapleton Preserve on Mapleton Road in Kingston. In this workshop, natural materials such as acorns, small stones, grasses and colorful fall leaves will be used to design your own signature mandala. A mandala is a circular figure with a central focus and radiating repeated elements used to create an object of beauty.

For more information see https://fpnl.org/

KHSNJ.ORG lists events of interest to the Kingston community

South Brunswick "History Scavenger Hunt"- delayed
2024-10-12 00:00 - 23:59 | NJ
South Brunswick Historical Society has announced that the scavenger hunt is delayed.

Kingston: Open House at Firehouse
2024-10-05 12:00 - 17:00 | NJ
Kingston Event: 2024 Fire Prevention Week is the time for the Kingston Volunteer Fire Company No. 1’s community celebration on Heathcote Road, Kingston, New Jersey. Learn more about the Kingston VFC at:

https://kingstonfireco.com/

KINGSTON: Mapleton Preserve Restoration
2024-09-28 10:00 - 12:00 | NJ
National Public Lands Day SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 28Help Restore a Part of the Mapleton Preservecome help…

Help plant 150 deer- and drought-resistant native plants and shrubs into Eagle Scout candidate Hamsika Y.’s prepared plot at the Mapleton Preserve. Learn about why these plants were selected, and the value of native plants for your garden. …

No experience necessary. On the job training. Volunteer service hours available.
http://fpnl.org/

10 AM to Noon– For more see http://fpnl.org/

Kingston Locktender's House Open House
2024-09-15 10:00 - 17:00 | NJ
Kingston Historical Society celebrates FIFTY YEARS the D&R Canal State Park and Canal Commission with a new display at the Kingston Lock.

Sunday we will have an opening reception with demonstrations of canal and bridge operations as well as displays in our two rooms.

Also, from 10-4 Kingston will be a stop on the D&R Canal Watch Canal House Challenge – so pick up a map and visit canal houses from West Windsor to East Millstone. (see canalwatch.org)

Map of Kingston and Canal Area with Lock-Tender’s House (arrow)

"D&R Canal House Challenge"
2024-09-15 10:00 - 16:00 | NJ
Come on down to the Kingston Locktender’s House!!!

Kingston Historical Society will be participating in a special event organized by D&R Canal Watch. From their website:

Five of the historic locktender and bridgetender homes will be open to the public. If you visit all five buildings, you will receive a prize.

This is a new event for the anniversary year: The Canal House Challenge. On Sunday, September 15, from 10-4, guests will be invited to tour five bridgetender and locktender homes: East Millstone, Blackwells Mills, Griggstown, Kingston, and Port Mercer.
https://www.canalwatch.org/event/canal-house-challenge/

Five Canal/Bridge Houses along the Delaware and Raritan Canal will be open for visitors with special displays and demonstrations. The Kingston Historical Society will hold an open house on that day. Come Visit!

Note that the Kingston Lock-Tender’s House (which was also a Bridge Tender’s house when the road crossed the canal on a swing bridge) is open every Saturday and Sunday except in winter.

D&R CANAL STATE PARK & COMMISSION'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AT PRALLSVILLE MILLS
2024-09-14 14:00 - 17:00 | NJ
From dandrcanal.org:

Mark your calendars and plan to help us celebrate the D&R Canal State Park and Commission’s 50th Anniversary! This public event will be held at Prallsville Mills located at 33 Risler Street in Stockton, NJ on Saturday, September 14th from 2:00 – 5:00 pm (rain or shine).

Help us celebrate our 50 year milestone anniversary. Come speak with our partner organizations who will be on site and ready to interact with the public. These historic organizations and environmental groups selflessly support the stewardship mission of NJ State Parks and assist with the preservation and education of the natural, environmental and historic resources of the D&R Canal State Park. Come meet them, become a member and get involved! (See the participating partner organizatons list below)

Walk through the historic Grist & Saw Mills and learn their stories. Members of the Delaware River Mill Society will be on hand to answer questions about the mill workings, surviving equipment and the people who worked there.

also: Photography, Meet Smokey the Bear, enjoy Tacos and Ice Cream, and music by The Successful Failures. (details at: https://dandrcanal.org/programs)

Several Kingston organizations will be taking part in this, including the Kingston Historical Society.

MVPC "Walk n Roll"
2024-08-25 00:00 - 23:59 | NJ
Sunday Afternoon Event on Canal Road, Rocky Hill to Bunker Hill Road celebrates Rochambeau’s march to Yorktown, the final battle of the American Revolution. This is an event of the Millstone Valley Preservation Coalition. The Kingston Historical Society posts this for information.

The times of this event will be posted on their website. – this event was cancelled

Kingston: BUG SAFARI at MAPLETON PRESERVE
2024-08-03 10:30 - 12:00 | NJ
Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands are sponsoring a… Bug Safari in Kingston!

Sat. Aug 3, 2024 10:30 am – noon behind D&R Canal Headquarters 145 Mapleton Rd, Kingston, NJ (go south on Academy St. Kingston or west on College Road, Plainsboro)

We will search for and learn about insects, bugs, spiders and other kinds of critters.

Suitable for kids and adults. Wear your safari hat & sturdy shoes. Bring water to drink, especially if it is hot. Charged cell phone cameras may be helpful to help ID our finds. Free and all are welcome!

Questions about event – call 609-683-0483.

For more information about Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands – see (www.fpnl.org)

Kingston: Fire Engine Motorcade
2024-07-27 00:00 - 23:59 | NJ
Kingston Event: Kingston Fire Company and Monmouth Junction Fire Company will jointly celebrate their 100th anniversaries with a motorcade from Kingston to Monmouth Junction. More details as the date approaches at: https://kingstonfireco.com/

KPC- Blueberry Festival
2024-06-29 18:00 - 20:00 | NJ
Saturday Evening on Kingston’s Main Street:KPC’s Annual Blueberry Festival at 6pm to 8pm, Saturday, June 29th – Delicious Blueberry Desserts, Music, Games, Pony Rides, Bounce House ~ Fun for the Family! (source: https://kingstonpresbyterian.org/events/6-29-2024-kpcs-annual-blueberry-festival-at-6pm-to-8pm-saturday-june-29th-delicious-bueberry-desserts-music-games-pony-rides-bounce-house-fun-for-the-family/)

This is a Kingston Community event, not run by the Kingston Historical Society.

TALK: 100 Years of the Kingston Volunteer Fire Company
2024-05-14 19:30 - 21:30 | NJ
The Kingston Historical Society proudly celebrates the 100th year of our village fire company!

George Luck, Jr. will present the Kingston Historical Society spring talk focusing on the 100th anniversary of the Kingston Volunteer Fire Company, No. 1.

Event will be at 7:30PM on Tuesday Evening, May 14 at the Kingston Fire House, Heathcote Road, Kingston, NJ. The meeting will also be available via Zoom with registration. To register, click the link below:

Talk registration

Display: 100 Years of Volunteers - Celebrating the Kingston Vol. Fire Co.
2024-05-11 10:00 - 17:00 | NJ
The Kingston Vol. Fire Co. No. 1 is celebrating their centennial year 1924-2024.

A new display of images and articles by the Kingston Historical Society is opening May 11th at the Kingston Lock-Tender’s House, Kingston NJ

And please attend the Historical Society’s spring talk:“TALK: 100 Years of the Kingston Volunteer Fire Company” on Tuesday, May 14th, 2024.

Display will be open weekends 10-5

Kingston: Arbor Day
2024-04-27 14:00 - 16:00 | NJ
Kingston Event: Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands (www.fpnl.org) will celebrate Arbor Day by establishing a new colony of Virginia bluebells, transplanting wildlife-friendly native tree- and wildflower seedlings, and planting this year’s Arbor Day tree, a beautiful ‘Snow Queen’ Oakleaf hydrangea at the Mapleton Preserve, D & R Canal State Park Headquarters145 Mapleton Road, Kingston

Pre-registration is requested at www.fpnl.org

Rain date April 28 from 2-4 pm.

Kingston Earth Day Cleanup - Afternoon
2024-04-20 14:00 - 16:00 | NJ
Kingston Event: the Kingston Greenways Association is organizing their annual Earth Day cleanup, and you are invited!

See their website for details https://kingstongreenways.org The cleanup has two sessions, attend either one or both:Franklin Side — 9 to 11 AMSouth Brunswick side – 2 to 4 PM
