Kingston Center Historic District
Why it's listed
Kingston Center Historic District is the civic and residential heart of Kingston, Massachusetts, about 30 miles southeast of Boston. It radiates from the Kingston Training Green and extends along Main and Green Streets. The district holds 27 contributing resources: houses, the 1841 Greek Revival Town House, the 1844 Faunce School, three churches, a meeting hall, two cemeteries, the Green, and an 1883 Civil War monument. Most buildings date from the late 18th to late 19th centuries, with Federal and Greek Revival styles predominating. Many are modest vernacular versions of popular styles, standing on spacious lots with mature trees. The First Parish Meeting House of 1851 is the third church on its site, and the 1886 Baptist Church is a Gothic Revival building with Queen Anne details. Houses built by Solomon Thompson and the former Johnson grocery store show the village's working past. The Green was part of land given to the precinct in 1717.
Significance in brief: The district preserves the civic, religious and residential core of Kingston's 19th-century village. It contains the Town House, three churches, a meeting hall, two cemeteries, the Training Green and a Civil War monument. Federal and Greek Revival buildings predominate, with Italianate and Gothic Revival examples.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 02001085, listed October 4, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Main, Green Sts., Kingston |
|---|---|
| County | Plymouth County |
| Listed | October 4, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02001085 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Solomon Thompson (builder of Main Street houses); L. Briggs & Co., Architects of Boston (1877 Town House renovation) |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Gothic Revival, Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Military |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most buildings are described as well preserved. The Town House is in use, the Faunce School serves as the Town House Annex, and one barn is noted as in poor repair. |
| Acreage | 30 |
| Coordinates | 41.99392, -70.73207 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 02001085.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6413484
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.