Along the gorgeous west bank of the Hudson River, the scenic town of Kingston, New York preserves rare remnants of Hudson Valley history from the 17th through 19th centuries. Founded in 1651 about 90 miles north of the Hudson River's harbor, Kingston was one of three major settlements in the New Netherlands colony--the other two were New Amsterdam (now New York City) and Beverwyck (now Albany).
Now Kingston fills a weekend getaway in the Hudson Valley with chances to see colonial artifacts, Revolutionary War-era architecture and Victorian maritime history. Landmarked homes and hotels mix with only-in-New-York instances of Hudson River life in one picturesque package. Kingston offers something for every weekend getaway.
Senate House State Historic Site
The former dwelling of merchant Abraham Van Gaasbeek, this Dutch colonial-style stone farmhouse was a witness to history and makes a good first stop on a weekend getaway. During the autumn of 1777, representatives elected by patriotic New Yorkers met here to develop a new state constitution, defying the rule of the occupying British Army--making Kingston New York's first state capital. Soon after, the angry Brits burned Kingston to the ground, but not before the alerted residents fled to the nearby Hudson Valley town of Hurley. The Senate House museum displays contemporary artifacts and 18th- and 19th-century paintings by John Vanderlyn and other Hudson Valley artists.
Stockade Historic District
The Senate House is situated in this northwest section of Kingston, a zone listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and which sports an uncommon assemblage of Dutch colonial edifices going back to the 17th century. The Hoffman House, Matthew Jansen House, Franz Roggen House, Matthew Person House, Henry Sleight House and Fred Johnston House display exquisite examples of Dutch rubble construction, which survived the British razing of Kingston in 1777. More 18th-century municipal buildings exhibit American Colonial architectural styles.
Rondout-West Strand Historic District
Distinct in location and history from the Stockade District, the Rondout-West Strand began as the separate town of Rondout, NY. Bounded by Broadway, McEntee Street, Dock Street and West Strand Street in downtown Kingston and circled by Rondout Creek, which empties into the Hudson River, this area served as an important port for trade up and down the Hudson Valley in the 19th century. With the expansion of shipping and maritime industries, Kingston entrepreneurs gained vast wealth. Prominent business leaders established many grand homes, religious buildings and municipal complexes in the gamut of 19th architectural styles, from stately to florid. Many of these are on view in the Rondout-West Strand Historic District, giving visitors a glimpse into Hudson River commercial culture in the Victorian period.
Hudson River Maritime Museum
Complementing the living history in the Rondout-West Strand area, this museum is New York State's sole repository of Hudson River nautical history and Hudson Valley culture as it related to the shipping industry. The riverside museum features ship models, paintings, photographs and objects used in the Hudson Valley from the earliest colonial era to the 20th century. Vintage vessels like the sloop Clearwater and the 1898 tugboat Mathilda are tied to the museum's pier.
Trolley Museum of New York
With the Hudson River characterizing so much of Kingston, this little museum bucks the trend of waterborne transportation. Concentrating on the function of trolleys and trains in the Hudson Valley, this singular attraction boasts authentic vintage cars, subways and trains from the 19th and 20th centuries. Families on a weekend getaway can enjoy a brief but memorable one-and-a-half mile ride in an antique trolley from Broadway in downtown Kingston, passing the museum property, and finishing at a fine-looking picnic ground overlooking the Hudson River.
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