Kingston
is a village and a
census-designated place
within the
town
of
South Kingstown
in
Washington County
,
Rhode Island
, United States, and the site of the main
campus
of the
University of Rhode Island
. The population was 6,974 at the
2010 census
.
[6]
Much of the village center is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
as
Kingston Village Historic District
. It was originally known as
Little Rest
.
|
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
|
---|
NRHP?reference?
No.
| 74000011
[5]
|
---|
Added to NRHP
| May 1, 1974
|
---|
Kingston was first settled in the late seventeenth century. Originally known as Little Rest, the name was changed to Kingston in 1826. 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
Kingston Railroad Station
which opened in June 1875. The station is served by
Amtrak
on its
Northeast Corridor
.
For a time, starting in the late 1770s, the preacher Jemima Wilkinson, known as the
Public Universal Friend
resided and gave sermons in the town.
[7]
As late as the 1900s inhabitants of Kingston called a species of
solidago
"Jemima weed", because its appearance in the town coincided with the preacher's first visit to the area.
[7]
[8]
[9]
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 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.
[10]
Public schools are operated by the South Kingstown School District. Educational institutions in Kingston include:
Religious denominations represented with churches, mosques, and synagogues in Kingston or on the university campus are Roman Catholicism, the United Church of Christ, Episcopalians, United Methodists, Baptists, Islam, and Judaism.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 1.563?square miles (4.05?km
2
), of which 1.556?square miles (4.03?km
2
) is land and 0.007?square miles (0.02?km
2
) (0.45%) is water.
[12]
Climate data for Kingston, Rhode Island (1991?2020 normals, extremes 1893?present)
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °F (°C)
|
69
(21)
|
70
(21)
|
82
(28)
|
89
(32)
|
97
(36)
|
96
(36)
|
100
(38)
|
100
(38)
|
95
(35)
|
87
(31)
|
80
(27)
|
73
(23)
|
100
(38)
|
Mean maximum °F (°C)
|
57.9
(14.4)
|
57.4
(14.1)
|
65.8
(18.8)
|
75.7
(24.3)
|
85.9
(29.9)
|
89.6
(32.0)
|
92.5
(33.6)
|
90.6
(32.6)
|
86.1
(30.1)
|
78.3
(25.7)
|
69.1
(20.6)
|
60.9
(16.1)
|
94.1
(34.5)
|
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)
|
40.2
(4.6)
|
42.5
(5.8)
|
49.1
(9.5)
|
59.7
(15.4)
|
69.7
(20.9)
|
78.0
(25.6)
|
83.3
(28.5)
|
82.4
(28.0)
|
75.8
(24.3)
|
65.2
(18.4)
|
54.5
(12.5)
|
45.2
(7.3)
|
62.1
(16.7)
|
Daily mean °F (°C)
|
30.5
(?0.8)
|
32.2
(0.1)
|
38.7
(3.7)
|
48.4
(9.1)
|
58.2
(14.6)
|
66.9
(19.4)
|
72.6
(22.6)
|
71.4
(21.9)
|
64.6
(18.1)
|
53.8
(12.1)
|
44.1
(6.7)
|
35.8
(2.1)
|
51.4
(10.8)
|
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)
|
20.8
(?6.2)
|
22.0
(?5.6)
|
28.3
(?2.1)
|
37.1
(2.8)
|
46.6
(8.1)
|
55.9
(13.3)
|
61.8
(16.6)
|
60.3
(15.7)
|
53.4
(11.9)
|
42.4
(5.8)
|
33.8
(1.0)
|
26.3
(?3.2)
|
40.7
(4.8)
|
Mean minimum °F (°C)
|
?0.5
(?18.1)
|
2.4
(?16.4)
|
10.5
(?11.9)
|
23.1
(?4.9)
|
31.2
(?0.4)
|
41.1
(5.1)
|
48.8
(9.3)
|
46.2
(7.9)
|
35.5
(1.9)
|
24.4
(?4.2)
|
15.9
(?8.9)
|
7.6
(?13.6)
|
?3.7
(?19.8)
|
Record low °F (°C)
|
?23
(?31)
|
?22
(?30)
|
?10
(?23)
|
8
(?13)
|
25
(?4)
|
30
(?1)
|
38
(3)
|
33
(1)
|
25
(?4)
|
13
(?11)
|
?4
(?20)
|
?17
(?27)
|
?23
(?31)
|
Average
precipitation
inches (mm)
|
4.24
(108)
|
3.77
(96)
|
5.59
(142)
|
4.90
(124)
|
3.81
(97)
|
4.11
(104)
|
3.30
(84)
|
4.26
(108)
|
4.36
(111)
|
4.98
(126)
|
4.49
(114)
|
5.33
(135)
|
53.14
(1,350)
|
Average snowfall inches (cm)
|
10.0
(25)
|
9.9
(25)
|
6.2
(16)
|
1.1
(2.8)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.1
(0.25)
|
0.6
(1.5)
|
6.6
(17)
|
34.5
(88)
|
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm)
|
5.9
(15)
|
6.2
(16)
|
3.7
(9.4)
|
0.6
(1.5)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.3
(0.76)
|
4.0
(10)
|
9.7
(25)
|
Average precipitation days
(≥ 0.01 in)
|
10.7
|
9.3
|
10.0
|
11.8
|
12.8
|
11.2
|
9.5
|
9.9
|
9.3
|
11.7
|
10.3
|
11.2
|
127.7
|
Average snowy days
(≥ 0.1 in)
|
4.5
|
4.1
|
2.7
|
0.3
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.1
|
0.3
|
2.7
|
14.7
|
Source:
NOAA
[13]
[14]
|
Historical population
Census
| Pop.
| Note
| %±
|
2020
| 7,825
| | ?
|
---|
The
2020 United States census
counted 7,825 people, 717 households, and 426 families in Kingston. The population density was 5,025.7 per square mile (1,940.4/km
2
). There were 782 housing units at an average density of 502.2 per square mile (193.9/km
2
).
[16]
[17]
The racial makeup was 79.32% (6,207)
white
or
European American
(78.82%
non-Hispanic white
), 5.0% (391)
black
or
African-American
, 0.23% (18)
Native American
or
Alaska Native
, 4.74% (371)
Asian
, 0.05% (4)
Pacific Islander
or
Native Hawaiian
, 7.87% (616) from
other races
, and 2.79% (218) from
two or more races
.
[18]
Hispanic
or
Latino
of any race was 8.73% (683) of the population.
[19]
Of the 717 households, 25.9% had children under the age of 18; 55.0% were married couples living together; 22.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 25.4% of households consisted of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
[16]
The average household size was 2.9 and the average family size was 3.2.
[20]
The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 9.6% of the population.
[21]
4.5% of the population was under the age of 18, 80.2% from 18 to 24, 5.3% from 25 to 44, 5.4% from 45 to 64, and 4.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 19.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 138.3 males.
[16]
For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 139.4 males.
[16]
The 2016-2020 5-year
American Community Survey
estimates show that the median household income was $112,344 (with a margin of error of +/- $17,256) and the median family income was $111,563 (+/- $17,329). Males had a median income of $4,619 (+/- $1,098) versus $4,193 (+/- $496) for females.
[22]
The median income for those above 16 years old was $4,344 (+/- $533).
[23]
Approximately, 0.0% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the
poverty line
, including 0.0% of those under the age of 18 and 2.5% of those ages 65 or over.
[24]
[25]
Nearby populated areas
edit
- ^
"ArcGIS REST Services Directory"
. United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
October 12,
2022
.
- ^
"Census Population API"
. United States Census Bureau
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October 12,
2022
.
- ^
"U.S. Census website"
.
United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
January 31,
2008
.
- ^
"US Board on Geographic Names"
.
United States Geological Survey
. October 25, 2007
. Retrieved
January 31,
2008
.
- ^
"National Register Information System"
.
National Register of Historic Places
.
National Park Service
. March 13, 2009.
- ^
"Summary Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010"
.
United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
July 19,
2020
.
- ^
a
b
Wisbey, Herbert A. Jr (2009) [1965].
Pioneer Prophetess: Jemima Wilkinson, the Publick Universal Friend
. Cornell University Press. pp.?39?47.
ISBN
978-0-8014-7551-1
.
- ^
Christian M McBurney,
Kingston?: a forgotten history
(1975), p. 32
- ^
Philip Kittredge Taylor, "Little Rest", in
The New England Magazine
, vol. 28, no. 2 (April 1903), p. 139 (a record from when the term "Jemima weed" was still in use).
- ^
"University of Rhode Island History"
. Archived from
the original
on January 30, 2013
. Retrieved
April 25,
2009
.
- ^
"Gordon Research Conference Center"
. Retrieved
July 10,
2009
.
- ^
"US Gazetteer files: 2019"
.
United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
July 19,
2020
.
- ^
"NowData ? NOAA Online Weather Data"
. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
. Retrieved
May 30,
2021
.
- ^
"Station: Kingston, RI"
.
U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991?2020)
. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
. Retrieved
May 30,
2021
.
- ^
"Census of Population and Housing"
. Census.gov
. Retrieved
June 4,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"US Census Bureau, Table DP1: PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS"
.
data.census.gov
. Retrieved
December 29,
2023
.
- ^
"Gazetteer Files"
.
Census.gov
. Retrieved
December 30,
2023
.
- ^
"US Census Bureau, Table P1: RACE"
.
data.census.gov
. Retrieved
December 29,
2023
.
- ^
"US Census Bureau, Table P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE"
.
data.census.gov
. Retrieved
December 29,
2023
.
- ^
"US Census Bureau, Table S1101: HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES"
.
data.census.gov
. Retrieved
December 29,
2023
.
- ^
"US Census Bureau, Table S1501: EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT"
.
data.census.gov
. Retrieved
December 29,
2023
.
- ^
"US Census Bureau, Table S1903: MEDIAN INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2020 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)"
.
data.census.gov
. Retrieved
December 29,
2023
.
- ^
"US Census Bureau, Table S2001: EARNINGS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2020 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)"
.
data.census.gov
. Retrieved
December 29,
2023
.
- ^
"US Census Bureau, Table S1701: POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS"
.
data.census.gov
. Retrieved
December 29,
2023
.
- ^
"US Census Bureau, Table S1702: POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS OF FAMILIES"
.
data.census.gov
. Retrieved
December 29,
2023
.
- 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