Kingston’s history spans more than three centuries, and most of the walking tours offered by Friends of Historic Kingston have focused on the Colonial Era and early 19th century. But now the organization is offering a tour that explores the city’s industrial past, a period and milieu that has traditionally been viewed as less of an historic interest – a gross oversight, given the vibrancy of the industries that once lined the Rondout Creek and the manufacturing plants that sprang up along the railroad and employed thousands. Titled “Essential and Stylish: Kingston’s Factories Transformed,” the tour, scheduled for Saturday, October 6 from 1 to 5:30 p.m., also charts the revitalization of some of the city’s monumental industrial structures, which have found new life in recent years as lofts for artists, entrepreneurs and small nonprofits.
Rather than just crane their necks at interesting buildings viewed from the street, participants will be invited inside several of these industrial spaces, all located in Midtown. The tour will be conducted by trolley: once the standard way in which factory workers commuted to work. It will end with a reception at a residential loft on Railroad Avenue, complete with refreshments, live jazz and historic photos.
Tickets cost $50 for the “Essential and Stylish: Kingston’s Factories Transformed” tour and reception on Saturday, October 6, or $25 for each event. The proceeds benefit the Friends of Historic Kingston and their preservation work. For reservations and information, call (845) 339-0720 or e-mail fhkindustrialtour@yahoo.com.
Join the family! 
