Posts

A List of Recent Posts to Our KHSNJ.Org Website

  • Tea Time Videos 2025
    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 March 23rd Talks Mapleton, Preserved: Karen Linder, president … Continue reading “Tea Time Videos 2025”
  • April 5th Open House Photos
    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 … Continue reading “April 5th Open House Photos”
  • KHS Trustees Plan “Opening Day” Open House
    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:
  • February 2025 Tea Time Talks on Video
    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!
  • Tea Time Talks being Reshuffled
    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
  • KHS Annual Meeting featured talk by D&R Canal Commission Executive Director (Video added)
    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 … Continue reading “KHS Annual Meeting featured talk by D&R Canal Commission Executive Director (Video added)”
  • Exploring the Kingston Lock Area
    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 … Continue reading “Exploring the Kingston Lock Area”
  • Kingston’s stop on “Five Canal Houses” tour
    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 … Continue reading “Kingston’s stop on “Five Canal Houses” tour”
  • Lock-Tender’s House display featured in local paper
    US 1 newspaper and PrincetonInfo.com featured an article on the Kingston Lock and our current exhibition “Kingston’s Lock: History Preserved — Photos and Drawings from 1936 re-interpreted for the 21st Century” The article is available online: https://www.communitynews.org/princetoninfo/coverstories/unlocking-a-bit-of-local-history-in-kingston/article_8a175cc0-2814-11ef-a778-ef510c9bccb1.html More about the display: “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.
  • George Luck Jr speaks at podium at Kingston Fire House
    Video of Spring Talk now online!
    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 May 14, 2024 presentation, with a description of the program, is now available HERE Our streaming video file is hosted on Archive.org, a non-profit repository for community videos. Consider donating a few dollars to them! The KHSNJ on-line archive (archive.khsnj.org) also has items related to the 100th anniversary, view that collection HERE
  • 100 Years of Volunteers-Opens
    A new display “100 Years of Volunteers-The Kingston Volunteer Fire Co.” is now up in the Lock-Tender’s House. On the left the display shows a section from the 1924 KVFC Certificate of Incorporation. The rest of the display is divided into the three “objects for which the corporation is formed:” The display is in support of the KHS spring talk “100 Years of the Kingston Volunteer Fire Company” A talk by George Luck Jr. to be held at the Kingston Fire House on May 14th at 7:30 PM For more information on the May 14th talk, go to the registration … Continue reading “100 Years of Volunteers-Opens”
  • Open House Weekend a Success
    April 6 and 7, 2024 was opening weekend for displays at the Kingston Lock-Tender’s House. Several dozen folks came through our expanded display space — from local historians to joggers taking a break from their canal run. Society president, Robert von Zumbusch demonstrated how the Kingston canal lock worked and how the swing bridge, just downstream of the lock, could be swung away from the canal to allow boats to travel through. Both the lock and swing bridge have been removed from the D&R canal. Charlie Dieterich and Peter Shell, who assembled the new display “Kingston’s Lock: History Preserved” stand … Continue reading “Open House Weekend a Success”
  • New Exhibit coming April 6, 2024
    The Kingston Lock-Tender’s House display space opens for the the season on April 6 with an open house. Volunteers are working on this year’s displays as well as preparing a second display room. Here are a couple of photos: Here is a mock up for a photo shoot showing the lower, miter gate of the Kingston Lock. These “miter gates” were removed in 1945 when the canal was converted to water supply. The upper gate, which was a “drop gate,” was sealed with a concrete barrier containing water flow control valves. Below is a photograph from the 1936 National Park … Continue reading “New Exhibit coming April 6, 2024”
  • Archiving… and you
    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. For the past 25+ years we have been been collecting items related to the village of Kingston and preparing presentations for the community. Some of our artifacts help us to understand our environment. For example, the flour sack shows what was produced at the Kingston mill on the Millstone River. Other items help us to remember our more recent history. The Kingston Historical Society maintains a second website to show photographs of … Continue reading “Archiving… and you”
  • Holiday Tree Lighting- 2023
    The weather cleared just in time for our community tree lighting, Sunday December 3rd, 2023. The crowd was not as large as other years, but the Kingston Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 came to provide lights, and the Kingston Women’s Chorus came to provide a joyous sing-along. The Kingston Women’s Chorus sang seasonal favorites and reminded us that they have a concert on December 10th at the Kingston United Methodist Church. See OUR EVENTS LIST Before the event the Kingston Historical Society opened the history room in the Kingston Locktender’s House for one last view of the 2023 displays. The … Continue reading “Holiday Tree Lighting- 2023”
  • Annual Meeting Talk Video now Available
    You 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 his work preparing this talk and his book “Community Collection for Kingston, NJ” (www.kingstonbook.com)
  • Nov-Dec Events in Kingston 2023
    Kingston Book Talk / KHS Annual Meeting Local author Markus McParland spoke on his NEW BOOK: “Community Collection for Kingston, NJ” at the Kingston Historical Society Annual Meeting Video of this presentation is now available HERE Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023: Annual Thanksgiving Day Walk. 10 -11:30 am Mapleton Preserve, 145 Mapleton Road, Kingston, NJ.Join Karen Linder and FPNL for our annual Thanksgiving Day morning walk at the Mapleton Preserve. On this easy, family-friendly walk, we will focus on nuts, seeds and berries that wildlife, including turkeys, use as food. Free and open to all. Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands (www.fpnl.org). … Continue reading “Nov-Dec Events in Kingston 2023”
  • KHS participates in Scavenger Hunt
    October 21, 2023 was South Brunswick Township’s History Day Scavenger Hunt. The goal was to explore South Brunswick’s historic buildings and sites in a family friendly way. Participants received a “Passport to local history” which would be stamped at five locations in the township The event was sponsored by the South Brunswick Library and the South Brunswick Historical Society. The Township was celebrating 225 years. The Kingston Historical Society and Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands assisted in the “hunt” hosting three locations. Members of the Kingston Presbyterian Church, which celebrated its 300th birthday this year, opened their sanctuary as a … Continue reading “KHS participates in Scavenger Hunt”
  • Cemetery Tales, October 14, 2023
    Kingston Presbyterian Church in celebration of its 300th Anniversary presented “Cemetery Tales” on October 14, 2023 On a rainy afternoon… Rev. Sharyl Dixon welcomed nine persons buried in the Kingston Presbyterian Church cemetery… Dorothea “Jimmie” Potts, local business owner and investor talked about the development of US Route 1 and life in Kingston Pastor David Comfort spoke of ministry in Kingston and beyond Umeko Shimomura spoke of her life in Japan and as a farmer in 1920’s California, and then internment during World War II in Arizona. William Van Tilburgh spoke of his time as Inn Keeper in Kingston William … Continue reading “Cemetery Tales, October 14, 2023”
  • Kingston is Busy This Autumn (2023)
    Community groups and historic sites are making Kingston a destination this fall. (click on event for details) Continuing: Rockingham Tours Rockingham State Historic Site tours resume, pre-registration is required. See https://www.rockingham.net/visitor-information for details. Rocky Hill Kingston Road. Until Nov. 24: South Brunswick Art Show “Memorable Places,” the Fall 2023 Art Show of the South Brunswick Arts Commission at Municipal Building 8:30AM- 4PM through November 24, 2023 Free and open to the public. (Monmouth Junction) This show features the Princeton Nursery Lands as one of the township’s memorable places. More information at www.sbarts.org Sept 30 FPNL Public Lands Day (change) New … Continue reading “Kingston is Busy This Autumn (2023)”
  • Kingston Presbyterian History Video
    An edited video of the June 3, 2023 presentation at the Kingston NJ Presbyterian Church is now available: Reflections of Our Past, 1723-2023,  https://youtu.be/0LLbYYpNJ7E Speakers are Rev Sharyl M Dixon, pastorand George Luck, Jr. introduced by Robert von Zumbusch, president of the Kingston Historical Society. With presentations by leaders of our three townships.
  • Kingston Tavern Walk 2023 Video
    Taverns of Kingston, A Saturday Afternoon walk led by George Luck, Jr. on May 6, 2023 Half way between New York and Philadelphia, Kingston, New Jersey was a natural place for inns and taverns for travelers. The first inn/tavern was established by Henry Greenland in 1683 on the west side of the Millstone River; subsequent taverns/inns were all on the east side. The two hour walk was led by lifetime Kingston resident (and KHS Vice President) George Luck, Jr. George is frequent speaker on Kingston history, both in character as a historical figure, or as himself. We started at the … Continue reading “Kingston Tavern Walk 2023 Video”
  • Spring Kingston Historian online!
    The Spring 2023 edition of the Kingston Historian is now available as a .pdf for download and viewing HERE. Topics include

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