Old Kingston Hall

English: , Originally built as the manse for St. Andrew's Church, the imposing house was constructed in 1880 on a half-acre of land donated by William and Margaret Bowser. Church Trustees' minutes of July 6, 1881 record that the completed manse, including drain, pump, barn and fence, cost a total of $2,531.10., One of the early ministers to occupy the manse was the Rev. William Hamilton, a friend of the Rev. Mr. Aitken of Newcastle. The story goes that Mr. Aitken's sons, Max (who later became Lord Beaverbrook) and Mons, who were visiting Mr. Hamilton, were just a little more than the reverend gentleman could stand. In desperation, he yoked up his team and drove the distance to Newcastle, restoring Max and Mons to their parents, and returned to a more peaceful Rexton because of 49 miles of heavy forest between the manse and the Aitken brothers., Sold by the church in 1938 when the present manse on Church Street was acquired, three local citizens purchased the then vacant building in 1945 for the purpose of opening a community hospital. It was needed to fill the void left when the three Misses Short all felt compelled to end their charitable work and close their little hospital., In the early years Kingston Hall Community Hospital was managed by Miss Elva MacNarin and for most of its service it was under the direction of its widely known and much loved matron/administrator Miss Martha North. Capable of accommodating up to 16 patients, the busy facility operated at times to as much as 137% capacity. It seems that the tiny hospital was constantly lobbying the government: seeking to expand in the 50's, looking to be replaced with a more modern building in the 60's, and finally pleading for its life in the 70's. It was closed by the provincial Department of Health in 1976., Dedicated to the memory of Dorence Dickinson in recognition of his dedicated service to the Village of Rexton as a member of village council. Dedicated November 17, 2001. Term: June 1971 – May 1981.,