Rondout Historic Marker

Rondout Historic Marker. . , Bordering the Rondout Creek, the downtown business area of Kingston developed as a separate village from Kingston called Rondout. Rondout was the scene of maritime activity beginning in the early 17th century when the Dutch set up trading posts on the Hudson. In the 19th century the village population exploded following the 1828 opening of the Delaware and Hudson Canal, the eastern terminus of which was at Rondout. Waves of immigrants, mostly Irish and German poured in, seeking jobs on the canal and river, businesses such as boat building, brick making and mining. , In 1849 Rondout was incorporated as a village and by 1855 with 6,000 residents, it surpassed the uptown village of Kingston in population. Rondout reached its peak in 1870 when 3 million tons of coal were shipped on the canal. In 1872 the villages of Kingston and Rondout were incorporated together as one city called Kingston. , The rise of rail transportation in the second half of the 19th century led to the closing of the canal in 1898. This led to the decline of the waterfront area over the next 60 years. Over time, boatyards and shops shut down. in the 1960’s Urban Renewal forced most of the population to move out of the Rondout area. In the early 21st century the Rondout downslide had been reversed. The waterfront again bustles with activity. There are now marinas filled with pleasure boats lining the Rondout Creek. Today Kingston is a port-of-call for many cruise ships. Numerous restaurants art galleries and boutiques anchored by Mariner’s Harbor (in the former Freeman Building) fill the storefronts that were once occupied by first generation immigrants.