Kingston

Sister cities

• Dunbar

History

Before European settlers arrived, Kingston was within the tribal homeland of the Wampanoag people. Several years before the Mayflower had landed in Plymouth, during the Native American epidemic of 1616 to 1619, the Wampanoag population was severely damaged from a rapidly spreading pandemics due to earlier contacts with Europeans. Several ancient Native American burial sites have been located within the borders of Kingston. Originally part of Plymouth, Kingston was first settled by Europeans shortly after the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock in 1620. It was settled once more in 1635. During 1675, several bloody battles during King Philip's War are believed to have occurred within Kingston's borders and the residence of Governor Bradford, which is now part of Kingston, was raided by Wampanoag warriors. In 1685, the area was placed within the boundaries of Plymouth County and for a brief time, between 1686 and 1689, the borders of Kingston were within the Dominion of New England. Kingston was first established as Plymouth's northern precinct in 1717 upon the creation of First Parish Kingston, now a Unitarian Universalist church in the town's center. Kingston was incorporated as a distinct town on June 16, 1726, following a tax dispute between the residents of north and south Plymouth, when the parish was known as the upper class portion of Plymouth. Kingston's borders were carved out of neighboring towns Plymouth, Duxbury, Plympton and Pembroke, all of which had been incorporated before Kingston. Kingston is home to the longest continuously run boat yard in North America, now named the Jones River Landing. The American Revolutionary War era brig, USS Independence, was built by Kingston shipbuilders on the Jones River and has emerged as a town icon, featured on…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 9.02%, is water. Kingston is bordered by the town of Pembroke to the north, Duxbury to the northeast, Plymouth to the south, Carver to the southwest, and Plympton to the west. Kingston is approximately southeast of Brockton and south-southeast of Boston. Kingston lies on Kingston Bay, an inlet to the larger Plymouth Bay. The Jones River runs through the town from its source, Silver Lake, to the bay. There are several brooks that branch off the river, as well as several other smaller ponds throughout the town, including Muddy Pond. There is a state forest in the town, located in the southern portion of the town which is commonly used for biking, off-roading, and hunting. Kingston is also the site of Gray's Beach, in a neighborhood called Rocky Nook, just north of the Plymouth town line. Kingston's highest natural point, with an elevation of 313 feet, is Monk's Hill.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  20,730
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  17,968
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  17,681
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  16,948
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  16,356
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  16,256
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  13,593
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  13,315

Largest nearby schools

• Plymouth North High
  High · Plymouth · 1,301 students · 11.9:1 ratio
• Marshfield High
  High · Marshfield · 1,190 students · 11.8:1 ratio
• Silver Lake Regional High
  High · Kingston · 1,046 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• Plymouth South High
  High · Plymouth · 1,028 students · 9.9:1 ratio
• Duxbury High
  High · Duxbury · 927 students · 12.2:1 ratio
• Plymouth Commun Intermediate
  Middle · Plymouth · 878 students · 10.5:1 ratio
• Furnace Brook Middle
  Middle · Marshfield · 868 students · 11.1:1 ratio
• Carver Elementary School
  Elementary · Carver · 773 students · 13.3:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3.6 — 2020-11-08
  10 km S of Bliss Corner, Massachusetts
• M 2.6 — 2015-01-13
  2 km E of Wauregan, Connecticut
• M 2.5 — 2007-10-19
  2 km WSW of Littleton Common, Massachusetts
• M 2.5 — 2005-11-17
  4 km S of Plymouth, Massachusetts
• M 2.5 — 2002-06-07
  3 km NNW of Hopedale, Massachusetts