The story
Read it all →How Kingstown came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Kingstown.
The log canoe Mystery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
B−History
History · Kingstown
2 of Kingstown’s places are on the National Register
More historic than 52% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of Kingstown was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1977.
2on the National Register
5%homes built before 1940
Quick answers
About Kingstown’s history
How historic is Kingstown?
B−
What drives the grade ↓More historic than 52% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
History grade
What drives Kingstown’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Kingstown is more historic than 52% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Kingstown’s overall grade.
Founding eraNo founding year we can rely on, so the grade uses the other two–Homes built before 19404.9% of homes (±2.8) · typical MD town 3.3% · U.S. 8.4%CNational Register2 listings, 4 historic buildings, 23.4 per 10,000 residents · typical MD town 0.9 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 52%
NewerOlder
Few Maryland towns list much on the Register (a typical Maryland town has 0.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Kingstown’s 23.4 sits above most of its state (76% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±2.8 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Kingstown’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
★ What stands out · Help out
Start Kingstown’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Kingstown’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.Places that used to be
Old corners
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Chester HarborKings CourtKings Town ManorPrimrose GarthReba L Anthony Estates
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Add from your albumOn the National Register
2 historic places in Kingstown
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
4
each building in a district counts
first listed
1980
Chester Hall
BuildingsStructures
Architectural styles listings
Federal1
Log canoe1
All 2 listings
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Famous people
See all →Famous people close to Kingstown
Nobody well known was born in Kingstown itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Questions about Kingstown’s history
How does Kingstown rank for history?
Kingstown is more historic than 52% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Kingstown?
Two places: the Chester Hall (listed 1980) and the MYSTERY (log canoe) (1985).
How old are the homes in Kingstown?
5% of Kingstown’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.8 points), against a typical 3.3% for a Maryland town; the median home was built in 1977.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Start a conversation
Sources
Where this page comes from
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.