Kingston first observed Memorial Day — known then as Decoration Day — in 1879. Here are a few images and documents of Kingstonians commemorating those who lost their lives in war.  

“8/10/66-KINGSTON, MASS: Brandishing her own protest U.S. involvement in the Viet Nam war. UPI Telephoto”  

Kingstonian Horatio Adams has appeared in the Pique of the Week a few times (here, here and here… well, that last one isn’t exactly about him, but it’s a favorite!) He was an prominent figure in Town history, but who knew he’d be right in the middle of a hot online ...

 Thanks to our friends at PAC-TV and The Local Seen for this wonderful piece, starring Violet Berry and Ed Borsari. Photos from the Local History Collections of the Kingston Public Library.

In a post to the Kingston Town Locals group on Facebook , Will Perry described a recently uncovered 1810 document that describes the line between Pembroke and Kingston.  It appears to be a “Notice of Perambulation” documenting a joint walk along the border by the Selectmen of both Towns. By law, ...

Source: Joseph Cushman Finney Papers MC11

Naval Constructor Melvin Simmons, born in Kingston on April 19, 1806, served as Master Carpenter for the first steam (or screw) frigate the USS Merrimack. Launched in June 1855 from the Charlestown Navy Yard, she was christened by Simmons’ daughter Mary Elizabeth, then 23. When Virginia seceded from the Union in ...

“Elder’s Spring was the water supply for the house-holds of Isaac Allerton, the Mayflower Pilgrim, and of other occupants of the farm, until it came into possession of Elder Thomas Cushman, for whom the present name was given. The old spring was a lovely spot, shaded by huge willows, and ...

  We only have a few of these, but they’re in the Local History exhbit case for a short time only. Stop by to see if you’re in a photo from the 1951 or 1952 Halloween party at Kingston Elementary School.

  In 2018, a new farmer’s market opened in Kingston. The Library’s usually there; check us out! It’s a great new venture with some interesting echos of the past. In  1917, Kingston also had a new community market, this one located at the Point, right where Summer Street splits from Main. The Old Colony ...

Source: Emily Fuller Drew Collection MC16

Gray’s Beach Park is named for Edward Gray, who arrived in Plymoth Colony in the 1642 and eventually became one of the the richest men around. He owned land along what later became Kingston’s shoreline, including as this notable land record,  the site of  Kingston’s little beach. And we know it’s ...

Our distinguished and beloved Town Historian!   Source: MC11 Joseph Finney Collection

  Here’s a detail of an early brochure for the summer cottage development called Ah-De-Nah, circa 1930.  The name was pitched as a Native American term, but descendants of the developers, Edgar and Waldo Loring, might tell you it was just made up.

Why, thank you! It’s good to be back.

In 1888, Henry R. Glover, a wealthy manufacturer of mattresses and “curled hair” from Cambridge, donated the “Henry Glover Watering Trough” to the town for public use at the Point, the triangular plot of land at the intersection of Main and Summer Streets. Glover was the son of Rev. Samuel Glover, ...

The following is a portrait of Frederick G. Brackett (1854-1941). In 1889, he purchased the house at 126 Brookdale Street, built by the Chandler family around 1790, along with the sawmill located off Hall’s Brook just east of the house. Brackett continued to operate the mill (which burned down in 1924) ...

  Source: Image from the Mary Hathaway Collection MC21.

In honor of Father’s Day this weekend, here is a sweet moment captured by Kingston historian and photographer Emily Fuller Drew of her niece, Norma, jumping into the waiting arms of her father, Clarence Drew (Emily’s brother).   Source: Image from the Emily Fuller Drew Collection MC16.

This photo from June 1924 shows an especially happy bunch of schoolchildren from the Center Primary School, renamed the Faunce School later that same year in honor of Walter H. Faunce, a former teacher, superintendent of schools, and town selectman.   Source: Image from the School Photograph Collection IC5.