Editing Kingston, New Hampshire

{{short description|Place in New Hampshire, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Kingston, New Hampshire
| official_name      = 
| settlement_type    = [[New England town|Town]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = 
| image_skyline      = Kingston_Town_Hall.jpg
| image_seal         = Seal of Kingston, New Hampshire.png
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Town Hall
| image_flag         = 
| image_map          = Rockingham County New Hampshire incorporated and unincorporated areas Kingston highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 260px
| map_caption        = Location in [[Rockingham County, New Hampshire|Rockingham County]] and the state of [[New Hampshire]].
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[New Hampshire]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in New Hampshire|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Rockingham County, New Hampshire|Rockingham]]
| parts_type         = Villages
| parts              = {{ubl|Kingston|West Kingston}}
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = [[Board of Selectmen]]
| leader_name        = {{ubl|Electra&nbsp;"Ellie"&nbsp;Alessio,&nbsp;Chair|Glenn Coppelman|Peter Bakie|Chuck Hart|Laurie Szwed}}
| established_title  = [[Incorporation (municipal government)|Incorporated]]
| established_date   = 1694
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2021">{{cite web |title=2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files – New Hampshire |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2021_Gazetteer/2021_gaz_cousubs_33.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 29, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 54.5
| area_total_sq_mi   = 
| area_land_km2      = 51.3
| area_land_sq_mi    = 
| area_water_km2     = 3.2
| area_water_sq_mi   = 
| area_water_percent = 5.90
| population_as_of   = 2020
| population_note    = 
| population_total   = 6202
| population_density_km2 = 121.0
| population_density_sq_mi = 
| timezone           = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Daylight Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| coordinates        = {{coord|42|56|11|N|71|03|12|W|region:US-NH|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_m        = 
| elevation_ft       = 135
| website            = {{URL|www.kingstonnh.org}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 03848
| area_code          = [[Area code 603|603]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 33-015-40100
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 0873638
| footnotes          = 
}}
'''Kingston''' is a [[New England town|town]] in [[Rockingham County, New Hampshire]], United States. The population at the [[United States Census 2020|2020 census]] was 6,202.<ref name="Census 2020">{{cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US3301540100| title=Census - Geography Profile: Kingston town, Rockingham County, New Hampshire| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]| access-date=December 24, 2021}}</ref>

== History ==
Kingston was the fifth town to be established in [[New Hampshire]]. Originally, it was a part of [[Hampton, New Hampshire|Hampton]]. After [[King Philip's War]], the establishment of new settlements was made possible by peace treaties with the local Indian tribes and, in 1692, by geographical and jurisdictional agreements between the provinces of [[Province of Massachusetts Bay|Massachusetts Bay]] and [[Province of New Hampshire|New Hampshire]]. Consequently, certain residents of Hampton petitioned for a grant of a separate township to be created from the western part of Hampton. And so, in 1694, [[William III of England|King William III of England]] granted a royal charter establishing the town of "Kingstown", so named in honor of the King. Use of the title rather than the King's name was common at the time. The original charter exists to this day.

===Historic district===

The Kingston historic district encompasses the town center of Kingston. Historic buildings and sites within the district include the Kingston town hall; the [[Josiah Bartlett House]], home of the second signer of the [[U.S. Declaration of Independence]]; the [[First Universalist Church (Kingston, New Hampshire)|First Universalist Church]]; the [[Sanborn Seminary]]; the Nichols Memorial Research Library; the Kingston Historical Museum (housed in the town's first fire house); [[The 1686 House]] restaurant; the Masonic building; the Cemetery at the Plains (where Josiah Bartlett is buried); the Church on the Plains; and the Grace Daley House and barn, home to the town's first church-owned parsonage (1835).

===West Kingston===

West Kingston is located along the road to [[Danville, New Hampshire|Danville]], in the western section of town, southwest of [[Great Pond (New Hampshire)|Great Pond]]. Evidence of the early inhabitants was manifested by the construction of a log garrison house on the present Great Pond Road. This well-built house consisted of two large rooms downstairs and a huge open chamber on the second floor. In later years a small ell was attached to the north side. The historic house was demolished at the beginning of the 20th century. The stone step at the main entrance and what must have been the "cellar hole" of this dwelling are still visible.

In the midst of an agrarian society, the [[charcoal]] manufacturing industry took root and became a major business in West Kingston. Charcoal was carried by horse-drawn wagons to the Massachusetts cities of [[Haverhill, Massachusetts|Haverhill]], [[Lawrence, Massachusetts|Lawrence]], [[North Andover, Massachusetts|North Andover]], [[Newburyport, Massachusetts|Newburyport]], [[Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]], and [[Amesbury, Massachusetts|Amesbury]], as well as to [[Exeter, New Hampshire]]. Some was sold by street peddlers to be used in homes for the purpose of kindling fires. A great deal was also used by the large machine shops and by the [[silversmith]]s.

Many individuals manufactured shoes in their small, one-room shoe shops. Such a shop stood until recently near the Thomas Page residence. Some people sewed shoes in their own homes. Unlike the large-scale factories of today, concerned with [[mass production]], these enterprises constructed the whole shoe, hand-sewing it with an artisan's touch.

A cooper shop on the Wadleigh Farm produced [[barrel]]s made entirely of wood: the staves were made of pine and hardwoods, and were bound with hoops of birch. Skilled workers made hooks to hold hoops together. When a sufficient number of barrels was collected, the men hauled them to Newburyport to be sold - probably to be used by fishermen in packing fish.

== Geography ==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Kingston has a total area of {{convert|54.5|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|51.3|km2|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|3.2|km2|order=flip}} are water, comprising 5.90% of the town.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2021"/> The highest point in Kingston is the east summit of Rock Rimmon Hill, at about {{convert|350|ft|m}} above [[sea level]], on the town's border with [[Danville, New Hampshire|Danville]] to the west. The majority of the town is drained by the [[Powwow River]], a tributary of the [[Merrimack River|Merrimack]]. The northern portion of town is drained by the [[Little River (Brentwood, New Hampshire)|Little River]], part of the [[Exeter River]]/[[Piscataqua River]] [[drainage basin|watershed]].<ref name=watershed>{{cite book |title=Water Use in New Hampshire: An Activities Guide for Teachers |url=http://nh.water.usgs.gov/Publications/nh.intro.html |last=Foster |first=Debra H. |author2=Batorfalvy, Tatianna N. |author3= Medalie, Laura  |publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey |year=1995}}</ref>

===Adjacent municipalities===
* [[Brentwood, New Hampshire|Brentwood]] (north)
* [[Exeter, New Hampshire|Exeter]] (northeast)
* [[East Kingston, New Hampshire|East Kingston]] (east)
* [[Newton, New Hampshire|Newton]] (south)
* [[Plaistow, New Hampshire|Plaistow]] (southwest)
* [[Hampstead, New Hampshire|Hampstead]] (southwest)
* [[Danville, New Hampshire|Danville]] (west)
* [[Fremont, New Hampshire|Fremont]] (northwest)

== Points of interest ==
===Listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places===
* [[First Universalist Church (Kingston, New Hampshire)|First Universalist Church]], built in 1879 and in use as a church until 1954
* [[Josiah Bartlett House]], built in 1774 (not open to the public)
* [[Nichols Memorial Library]], built in 1898 and now a research library
* [[Plains Cemetery]], burial site of [[Josiah Bartlett]] and some [[American Civil War|Civil War]] veterans
* [[Sanborn Seminary]], built in 1883 and in use until 2006

===Other sites===
* Grace Daley House and barn, at risk of being demolished
* Rock Rimmon Hill
* Kingston Historical Museum, open to the public during Kingston Days, other special events, and by appointment
* [[Kingston State Park]]
* [[Spirit of Adventure Council|Lone Tree Scout Reservation]]

== Kingston Days celebration ==

The Kingston Days celebration occurs on the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday of August. It is to celebrate the town's incorporation date of August 6, 1694. The celebration offers live music and activities, family fun and a large [[flea market]], car show, and motorcycle show. It also includes various events such as a [[karate]] show and a [[police dog]] demonstration. During this event the Kingston Historical Museum complex is open to the public, in conjunction with the Nichols Memorial Research Library.

== Education ==

Kingston is part of the Sanborn Regional School District (SAU 17), providing public education to students who live in Kingston, [[Fremont, New Hampshire|Fremont]], and [[Newton, New Hampshire|Newton]].

Schools in Kingston are:
*[[Sanborn Regional High School]] (grades 9–12)
*Middle school students (grades 6–8) attend Sanborn Regional High School in Kingston.
*D.J. Bakie Elementary School (grades Pre-K, K, 1–2)
*Memorial School (3-5) attend Memorial School at Newton

Pre-schools include:
*Kingston Children's Center (grades Pre-K, K)
*Story Book Station (grades Pre-K, K, 1)

== Demographics ==

{{US Census population
|1790= 906
|1800= 785
|1810= 746
|1820= 847
|1830= 929
|1840= 1032
|1850= 1192
|1860= 1216
|1870= 1054
|1880= 1080
|1890= 1120
|1900= 1132
|1910= 1015
|1920= 859
|1930= 1017
|1940= 1002
|1950= 1283
|1960= 1672
|1970= 2882
|1980= 4111
|1990= 5591
|2000= 5862
|2010= 6025
|2020= 6202
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |title=Census of Population and Housing |publisher=Census.gov |access-date=June 4, 2016 }}</ref>
}}
As of the census of 2010, there were 6,025 people, 2,288 households, and 1,704 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|305.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,480 housing units, of which 192, or 7.7%, were vacant at the time of the census. The [[race and ethnicity in the United States Census|racial makeup]] of the town was 97.0% [[White American|White]], 0.3% [[African American]], 0.3% [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 0.4% [[Asian American|Asian]], 0.1% [[Pacific Islander]], 0.3% some other race, and 1.5% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race were 1.4% of the population.<ref name="Census 2010 DP">{{cite web| url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/SF1DP1/0600000US3301540100| title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (DP-1), Kingston town, Rockingham County, New Hampshire| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American FactFinder| access-date=April 30, 2019| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213234828/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/SF1DP1/0600000US3301540100| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref>

Of the 2,288 households, 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were headed by [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63, and the average family size was 3.01.<ref name="Census 2010 DP"/>

21.2% of the town population were under the age of 18, 7.4% were from age 18 to 24, 23.6% were from 25 to 44, 35.1% were from 45 to 64, and 12.7% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.<ref name="Census 2010 DP"/>

For the period 2013–2017, the estimated median annual income for a household in the town was $93,096, and the median income for a family was $101,471. Male full-time workers had a median income of $59,657 versus $54,805 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $46,706. About 2.7% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/17_5YR/DP03/0600000US3301540100| title=Selected Economic Characteristics: 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (DP03), Kingston town, Rockingham County, New Hampshire| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American FactFinder| access-date=April 30, 2019| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213155747/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/17_5YR/DP03/0600000US3301540100| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Notable people ==
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* [[Josiah Bartlett]] (1729–1795), [[Founding Fathers of the United States|Founding Father]], second signer of the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]]; first [[List of Governors of New Hampshire|President of New Hampshire]]; founder of the New Hampshire Medical Society
* [[Luella J. B. Case]] (1807–1857), author, hymn writer
* [[Adam Lanza]] (1992–2012), perpetrator of the [[Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting]]
* [[Henry F. C. Nichols]] (1833–1890), member of the [[Wisconsin State Assembly]]

{{commons category}}

== References ==
{{portal|New Hampshire}}
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website}}
* [https://www.nhes.nh.gov/elmi/products/cp/profiles-htm/kingston.htm New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile]

{{Geographic location
 | Centre    = Kingston
 | North     = [[Brentwood, New Hampshire|Brentwood]]
 | Northeast = [[Exeter, New Hampshire|Exeter]]
 | East      = [[East Kingston, New Hampshire|East Kingston]]
 | Southeast = [[Newton, New Hampshire|Newton]]
 | South     = [[Plaistow, New Hampshire|Plaistow]]
 | Southwest = [[Hampstead, New Hampshire|Hampstead]]
 | West      = [[Danville, New Hampshire|Danville]]
 | Northwest = [[Fremont, New Hampshire|Fremont]]
}}

{{Rockingham County, New Hampshire}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Kingston, New Hampshire| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Rockingham County, New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1694]]
[[Category:Towns in New Hampshire]]
[[Category:1694 establishments in New Hampshire]]