Kingston, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Kingston is a census-designated place
(CDP) and unincorporated area in the U.S. state
of New Jersey
, which has been officially designated as a Village Center by the New Jersey State Planning Commission
. The CDP portion, is the area that lies in Middlesex County
. The Village of Kingston exists in three different municipalities: South Brunswick Township
in Middlesex County
, Franklin Township
in Somerset County
and Princeton Township
in Mercer County
. It is the only tri-county community in New Jersey. The population was 1,292 at the 2000 census
.
The Kingston Village Advisory Committee
, appointed by the Councils of both South Brunswick
and Franklin
Townships, holds an annual Village Meeting and advises the Councils on citizen issues in this unique split jurisdiction.
Kingston is located in five historic districts and is part of the Millstone River
Valley Scenic Byway
. The Delaware and Raritan Canal
and Rockingham State Historic Site
are a short distance away.
Assunpink Trail
where it crossed the Millstone River
and later becoming part of the King's Higway
was the prime factor in its early prominence.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 2.4 km2 (0.9 mi2). 2.3 km2 (0.9 mi2) of it is land and 0.1 km2 (0.04 mi2) of it (2.20%) is water.
of 2000, there were 1,292 people, 561 households, and 315 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 554.3/km2 (1,440.9/mi2). There were 576 housing units at an average density of 247.1/km2 (642.4/mi2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 74.07% White, 8.05% African American, 0.62% Native American, 10.06% Asian, 4.33% from other races
, and 2.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.69% of the population.
There were 561 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples
living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.7% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 36.4% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $65,962, and the median income for a family was $80,242. Males had a median income of $56,371 versus $46,250 for females. The per capita income
for Kingston was $34,457. None of the families and 1.0% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
. The old tombstones surround the site where the church once stood in the Kingston Cemetery. The Reverend Eleazer Wales
was the first recorded minister of the church. The original church building in the cemetery burned down in 1791, and new building was erected in 1792 on the original foundation. The congregation used this building until 1852, when the larger building on Main Street in Kingston was constructed on land purchased from Elijah Stout. In 1853, the church building in the cemetery was sold and was later dismantled. Two additions were constructed on the 1852 site. Sunday school rooms were added to the back of the structure in the late 1940s. In the late 1980s another addition was added which added a new kitchen facility, additional space in the assembly room, pastors study and office.
:
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) and unincorporated area in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, which has been officially designated as a Village Center by the New Jersey State Planning Commission
New Jersey State Planning Commission
The New Jersey State Planning Commission is responsible for oversight of planning issues affecting the U.S. state of New Jersey. The Commission consists of 17 members representing State government, local government and the public. Local government and public members are appointed by the Governor of...
. The CDP portion, is the area that lies in Middlesex County
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
. The Village of Kingston exists in three different municipalities: South Brunswick Township
South Brunswick Township, New Jersey
South Brunswick Township is a Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 43,417....
in Middlesex County
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
, Franklin Township
Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey
-Communities of Franklin Township:The following are census-designated places, unincorporated enclaves, and historical communities located within Franklin Township...
in Somerset County
Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In 2010, the population was 323,444. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Somerville....
and Princeton Township
Princeton Township, New Jersey
Also Princeton Borough is an independent municipality completely surrounded by the township.Princeton North is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Princeton Township....
in Mercer County
Mercer County, New Jersey
As of the census of 2000, there were 350,761 people, 125,807 households, and 86,303 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,552 people per square mile . There were 133,280 housing units at an average density of 590 per square mile...
. It is the only tri-county community in New Jersey. The population was 1,292 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
The Kingston Village Advisory Committee
Kingston Village Advisory Committee
The Kingston Village Advisory Committee, jointly appointed by the South Brunswick Township and Franklin Township Councils, reports to both Township Councils on matters of concern to the historic "village" of Kingston and its citizens...
, appointed by the Councils of both South Brunswick
South Brunswick Township, New Jersey
South Brunswick Township is a Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 43,417....
and Franklin
Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey
-Communities of Franklin Township:The following are census-designated places, unincorporated enclaves, and historical communities located within Franklin Township...
Townships, holds an annual Village Meeting and advises the Councils on citizen issues in this unique split jurisdiction.
Kingston is located in five historic districts and is part of the Millstone River
Millstone River
The Millstone River is a tributary of the Raritan River in central New Jersey in the United States.The Millstone River begins in western Monmouth County and flows northward through southern Somerset County into the Raritan River at Manville. Almost three quarters of its length is paralleled by...
Valley Scenic Byway
Millstone River Valley Scenic Byway
The Millstone Valley Scenic Byway is a 25 mile historic scenic route located in the Millstone River Valley which lies in north central New Jersey. The byway offers a glimpse into the past where skirmishes between the local militia and British troops played a key role in the American Revolutionary...
. The Delaware and Raritan Canal
Delaware and Raritan Canal
The Delaware and Raritan Canal is a canal in central New Jersey, United States, built in the 1830s that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was intended as an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York City,...
and Rockingham State Historic Site
Rockingham, Kingston
Rockingham House was the home of John Berrien I and George Washington's final headquarters of the Revolutionary War, located in Franklin Township, New Jersey near Rocky Hill. The house has been moved within southern Franklin Township several times, and is now closer to the Franklin portion of...
are a short distance away.
History
Jediah Higgins purchased 1000 acres (4 km²) from the Native Americans in the early 18th century and the town of Kingston was established.Kingston's location on the LenapeLenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
Assunpink Trail
Assunpink Trail
The Assunpink Trail was a Native American trail in what later became Middlesex, Somerset, and Mercer counties in the central and western part of New Jersey...
where it crossed the Millstone River
Millstone River
The Millstone River is a tributary of the Raritan River in central New Jersey in the United States.The Millstone River begins in western Monmouth County and flows northward through southern Somerset County into the Raritan River at Manville. Almost three quarters of its length is paralleled by...
and later becoming part of the King's Higway
King's Highway (Charleston to Boston)
The King's Highway is a route over in length in the eastern United States. It joins Charleston, South Carolina, to Boston, Massachusetts. It was named after Charles II of England, who in 1650 directed his colonial governors to build it. It did not become a continuous wagon road until 1735...
was the prime factor in its early prominence.
Geography
Kingston is located at 40.372656°N 74.612865°W (40.372656, -74.612865).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 2.4 km2 (0.9 mi2). 2.3 km2 (0.9 mi2) of it is land and 0.1 km2 (0.04 mi2) of it (2.20%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,292 people, 561 households, and 315 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 554.3/km2 (1,440.9/mi2). There were 576 housing units at an average density of 247.1/km2 (642.4/mi2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 74.07% White, 8.05% African American, 0.62% Native American, 10.06% Asian, 4.33% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.69% of the population.
There were 561 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.7% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 36.4% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $65,962, and the median income for a family was $80,242. Males had a median income of $56,371 versus $46,250 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for Kingston was $34,457. None of the families and 1.0% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
Kingston Presbyterian Church
The Kingston Presbyterian Church was organized in 1723 and was initially located in a log building adjacent to the Millstone RiverMillstone River
The Millstone River is a tributary of the Raritan River in central New Jersey in the United States.The Millstone River begins in western Monmouth County and flows northward through southern Somerset County into the Raritan River at Manville. Almost three quarters of its length is paralleled by...
. The old tombstones surround the site where the church once stood in the Kingston Cemetery. The Reverend Eleazer Wales
Eleazer Wales
Reverend Eleazer Wales was the first minister of the Kingston Presbyterian Church, in Kingston, New Jersey. He played a prominent role in the Presbyterian movement in and around Philadelphia. On May 26, 1738, the Synod of Philadelphia ordered the creation of the Presbytery of New Brunswick, and...
was the first recorded minister of the church. The original church building in the cemetery burned down in 1791, and new building was erected in 1792 on the original foundation. The congregation used this building until 1852, when the larger building on Main Street in Kingston was constructed on land purchased from Elijah Stout. In 1853, the church building in the cemetery was sold and was later dismantled. Two additions were constructed on the 1852 site. Sunday school rooms were added to the back of the structure in the late 1940s. In the late 1980s another addition was added which added a new kitchen facility, additional space in the assembly room, pastors study and office.
National Register of Historic Places
The following sites and districts in Kingston are listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
:
- RockinghamRockingham, KingstonRockingham House was the home of John Berrien I and George Washington's final headquarters of the Revolutionary War, located in Franklin Township, New Jersey near Rocky Hill. The house has been moved within southern Franklin Township several times, and is now closer to the Franklin portion of...
Historic Site, George Washington's last war-time headquarters in 1783, added in 1970 it is #70000394 - Delaware and Raritan Canal Historic District was added in 1973, it is district #73001105
- Kingston Mill Historic District was added in 1986, it is district #86000707.
- Kingston Village Historic District was added in 1990, it is district #89002163.
- King’s Highway Historic District was added in 2000, it is district #00001493