Kingston, Rhode Island

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Kingston, Rhode Island
—  Unincorporated community  —
Kingston, Rhode Island is located in Rhode Island
Kingston, Rhode Island
Location within the state of Rhode Island
Coordinates: 41°29′N 71°32′W / 41.483°N 71.533°W / 41.483; -71.533
Country United States
State Rhode Island
County Washington
Area
 • Land 1.57 sq mi (4.1 km2)
Elevation 246 ft (75 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 5,446
 • Density 3,474.6/sq mi (1,341.6/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 02881
Area code(s) 401
FIPS code 44-38980[1]
GNIS feature ID 1217812[2]
Kingston Village Historic District
Kings County Court House (now a public library) where the Constitution was last voted against by Rhode Island in 1790
Area: 470 acres
Architectural style: Greek Revival, Late Victorian, Federal, Colonial
Governing body: Local
NRHP Reference#: 74000011[3]
Added to NRHP: May 1, 1974
Kingston in 1900 on Kingstown Road near the intersection of South Road, showing the village well
Washington County Jail. This building housed prisoners awaiting trial in the county courthouse. It was built in several stages between 1792 and 1861 and is the current home of the Pettaquamscutt Historical Society

Kingston is a village and a census-designated place in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States, and the site of the main campus of the University of Rhode Island. Much of the village center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Kingston Village Historic District.

Contents

History [edit]

The village was originally called Little Rest, but was renamed Kingston in 1726. It was the county seat for Washington County (formerly Kings County) from 1752 until 1894, when a new courthouse was built in nearby West Kingston. West Kingston is also the site of the historic 120-year-old Kingston Railroad Station, which is served by Amtrak on its Northeast Corridor.

South Kingstown established the Kingston Historic District in 1959, and much of Kingston village became a National Register historic district in 1974 as Kingston Village Historic District. The historic district is located just outside of the campus of the University of Rhode Island, and contains many fine examples of 18th and 19th century architecture. The historic district includes 38 buildings.

The University of Rhode Island was established at Kingston in 1888 as the Rhode Island Agricultural School and Agricultural Experiment Station, by funding from the Hatch Act of 1887. In 1892 the Agricultural School became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts with funding from the Second Morrill Land Grant Act of 1890, later becoming Rhode Island State College in 1909 and the University of Rhode Island in 1951.[4]

Nearby populated areas [edit]

Climate [edit]

Climate data for Kingston
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 37.7
(3.2)		 38.6
(3.7)		 46.4
(8)		 56.7
(13.7)		 67
(19)		 75.5
(24.2)		 80.6
(27)		 79.3
(26.3)		 73.2
(22.9)		 63.6
(17.6)		 52.2
(11.2)		 41.4
(5.2)		 59.35
(15.17)
Average low °F (°C) 18.9
(−7.3)		 19.6
(−6.9)		 27.2
(−2.7)		 35.4
(1.9)		 44.7
(7.1)		 53.8
(12.1)		 59.8
(15.4)		 58.5
(14.7)		 51.6
(10.9)		 41
(5)		 32.6
(0.3)		 23
(−5)		 38.84
(3.79)
Precipitation inches (mm) 4.5
(114)		 3.9
(99)		 5
(130)		 4.4
(112)		 3.8
(97)		 3.5
(89)		 3.1
(79)		 4.3
(109)		 3.9
(99)		 3.9
(99)		 4.7
(119)		 4.8
(122)		 49.8
(1,268)
Source: Weatherbase [5]

Economy [edit]

In addition to the university, major businesses in Kingston include American Power Conversion and the Arnold Lumber Company.

Education [edit]

Public schools are operated by South Kingstown. Other educational institutions in Kingston include:

Churches and houses of worship [edit]

Religious denominations represented with churches in Kingston or on the university campus include Roman Catholicism, the United Church of Christ, Episcopalians, United Methodists, Baptists, and Judaism.

Notable People [edit]

Brendan Little, (Stage Name: Brendan Michael) .,[7] held #16 single with song "Give Me Your Smile".

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  3. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. 
  4. ^ "University of Rhode Island History". Retrieved 2009-April-25. 
  5. ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Kingston, Rhode Island". Weatherbase. 2011.  Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
  6. ^ "Gordon Research Conference Center". Retrieved 10 July 2009. 
  7. ^ "Brendan Michael Offical". Retrieved 2012-OCtober-20. 

Further reading [edit]

  • Images of America: Kingston by Betty J. Cotter. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, c. 1999 ISBN 978-0-7385-6364-0
  • Lost South Kingstown : with a history of ten of its early villages by Kathleen Bossy and Mary Keane. Kingston, R.I. : Pettaquamscutt Historical Society, c. 2004
  • A History of Kingston, R.I. 1700 – 1900: Heart of Rural South County by Christian M. McBurney. Kingston, R.I. : The Pettaquamscutt Historical Society, c. 2004

External links [edit]
Topics
Lists by states
Lists by insular areas
Lists by associated states
Other areas
Municipalities and communities of Washington County, Rhode Island, United States
Towns
Villages

Coordinates: 41°29′N 71°32′W / 41.483°N 71.533°W / 41.483; -71.533

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