Kingston, County seat in Hudson Valley, New York, United States.
Kingston sits on the Hudson River, 91 miles (146 km) north of New York City and 59 miles (95 km) south of Albany, surrounded by the Catskill Mountains. The city spreads across several levels between the riverfront and the higher neighborhoods inland.
The city served as the first capital of New York State in 1777, until British forces burned it down after the Battles of Saratoga. Rebuilding began immediately after the war ended and shaped the present layout of the old town.
The name comes from Kingston upon Thames in England and was given after the British takeover in 1669. Visitors today see Dutch and English building styles side by side, showing the legacy of two colonial powers in the Hudson Valley.
Most points of interest lie either in the uptown center above the slope or down by the waterfront in the Rondout harbor area. A car or local transit helps when moving between the two sections, as the elevation change can be tiring on foot.
The Delaware and Hudson Canal made the city a major transshipment point for coal and bluestone from Pennsylvania to New York City in the 19th century. Remains of the canal infrastructure are still visible in parts of the harbor district today.
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