Although it is a fairly small village located in the larger town of South Kingston, Rhode Island, Kingston is well known as the area's center of history and academia. Take a look through the Kingston, Rhode Island business directory and you'll see that family-run businesses trump chains and conglomerates in this quintessential sleepy New England village.
Kingston was designated a historical district in 1959 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is where the colonists defeated the Native Americans in Great Swamp Fight of 1675, and where the people of Rhode Island rejected the Constitution by overwhelming majority in 1790, opting to wait until the government added the Bill of Rights that protected individual freedoms. The village is also home to the state's university, making it one of the few places in Rhode Island that grow quiet during the summer months. Dormitories and colleges dot the landscape here, and they manage to blend in with stark Federalist architecture and Victorian homes.
The summer tourist mecca of Newport is just a short drive from Kingston over the Jamestown and Newport bridges. Although there are always plenty of things to see and do in Newport in the summer, the city becomes particularly crowded during the America's Cup World Series yacht races and the Newport Jazz Festival. Lodging in Newport can be fairly expensive and accommodations often are in short supply during peak times. Use the Kingston, Rhode Island yellow pages instead to find a cozy area inn or bed and breakfast that is slightly off the beaten path.
Written by Lyndsey Morgan
