SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT: One of the oldest communities in Central New Jersey, Kingston — depicted on this early map — is the subject of three events taking place at the Kingston United Methodist Church. The first is on January 19 at 2:30 p.m.

By Anne Levin

Thinking about what might engage history-minded members of the public during the winter months, members of the Kingston Historical Society (KHS) came up with a new idea.

“Tea Time Talks” on three winter Sundays — starting this Sunday, January 19 at 2:30 p.m. — are 15-minute lectures at the Kingston United Methodist Church, each with a different focus. Afterward, there is time for tea and conversations with the presenters.

“We usually have a walk and lecture in spring, and a walk and maybe a lecture after our meeting in the fall,” said Charlie Dieterich, secretary of the KHS. “Those tend to be sort of intense, hour-long talks. For winter, we came up with this idea for little talks aimed at people who don’t know a lot about Kingston. There are a lot of things in Kingston that say ‘Princeton,’ but they aren’t — they are Kingston. This is a 300-year-old village that is kind of forgotten.”

Dieterich and Kristina Hill will inaugurate the series this Sunday, reading from the 1679 travel diary of Jasper Danckaerts. It is described on the website Gutenberg.org as “a detailed diary chronicling the author’s voyage from the Netherlands to New Netherland (now New York) and his travels through various American colonies, documenting encounters and observations along the way.”

Next, on February 23, Kingston Greenways Association President Tari Pantaleo will give a talk about the Kingston Greenbelt. Finally, on March 23, KHS Vice President George Luck will talk about Kingston in the American Revolution, 1776-1783.

“We actually have 20 subjects we want to do,” said Dieterich. “Kingston’s history goes back to 1679.”

The town was a thriving stage coach stop for carriages going between New Brunswick and Trenton. “One thing most people don’t know is that this is where the hotels were,” said Dieterich.

During the Revolutionary War, Gen. George Washington and his troops camped in Kingston on their way to the Battle of Monmouth. “After the battles of Trenton and Princeton, they had a conference on horseback in the cemetery across the street from what is now the Methodist church,” said Dieterich. “There were no trees at that time on [what is now] Route 27, and you could see Nassau Hall from there — especially on horseback.”

Several sites in Kingston are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The town once had two railroad stations, and an office on the first telegraph line in Central New Jersey, according to the KHS website.

In the future, the KHS plans to do an event about the bottling company that was once here, and another about the windmill that still stands off Route 27. Another focus will be the sprawling Princeton Nurseries. “There about a half dozen talks people could do about that subject,” said Dieterich.

Admission to the talks is free, but cash donations for the church, which is allowing the KHS to use the location at no charge, are welcome. The church is at 9 Church Street, across from the cemetery. Visit khsnj.org/teatime for more information.