Kingston, MA: Town History and Location

Kingston sits on Kingston Bay between Plymouth and Duxbury , and its story is tied to the Jones River that runs through the middle of town. Call or text 508-466-5460 or book online.

Kingston sits on Kingston Bay between Plymouth and Duxbury, and its story is tied to the Jones River that runs through the middle of town. Here's a short look at how it grew, plus how dumpster delivery works for Kingston homes and job sites.

Before English settlers arrived, the land was part of the Wampanoag homeland, and several Native burial sites have been found within today's town lines. Kingston began as the northern part of Plymouth and was settled by colonists soon after the Pilgrims landed in 1620. During King Philip's War in 1675, fighting is believed to have reached the area, and the Bradford family homestead, which now lies in Kingston, was raided.

The area became Plymouth's northern precinct in 1717, when First Parish Kingston was founded. After a tax dispute between residents of north and south Plymouth, Kingston was incorporated as its own town on June 16, 1726. Its borders were drawn from parts of Plymouth, Duxbury, Plympton and Pembroke. The last change came in 1857, when Kingston annexed a small piece of Duxbury.

Kingston shipbuilders on the Jones River built the Revolutionary War brig Independence, which appears on the town seal today. The town is also home to the boat yard now called Jones River Landing, described as the longest continuously run boat yard in North America. In the 1800s Kingston was a center for shipbuilding and ice harvesting. Jones River Pond was renamed Silver Lake to help sell its ice, and the name stuck.

Route 3 arrived in the 1950s and turned a small rural town into part of the Boston commuter belt. Growth picked up again in the 1990s when the Old Colony commuter rail line reopened with a Kingston stop. About 13,708 people lived in Kingston at the 2020 census.

Plymouth Dumpster Rental is based next door in Plymouth, so Kingston is one of our shortest drives. We deliver 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 yard roll-off containers for cleanouts, remodels, roofing and new construction. Tell us what's going in and where the container should sit, and we'll recommend a size.

Call or text 508-466-5460, or book at southshoredumpster.com/book. For more on the town, see our Kingston dumpster rental page.