The objects of the Society are:
- To create, foster and maintain interest in the history and heritage of the
City of Kingston and its environs;
- To provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of papers with relevant historical content and to provide for the publication of such papers;
- To organize, supervise, manage, promote and assist in providing and maintaining historical museums, plaques, cairns, and other monuments to the historical past;
- To acquire documents, maps, books, photographs and other historical data and tangible articles of historic interest with a view to the preservation and display as such articles at such times and in such places as may be decided upon by the Society; and
- To be an advocate for the preservation of buildings and areas of historic interest in the City of Kingston and district.
Membership
Membership dues are $40 for an individual membership, $50 for a family or institutional membership and $25 for a student membership. Application for membership should be addressed to the Membership Secretary, c/o the Kingston Historical Society, Box 54, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 4V6. Membership includes the annual journal, Historic Kingston, and 9 issues of the newsletter, Limelight, as well as a discounted fee to selected special events. Click here to see a sample of Limelight.
Publications
The Society publishes a monthly newsletter the Limelight. It has published, since 1952, an annual journal (except 1961), Historic Kingston. A List of Contents can be found on the
Historic Kingston List of Contents page. From time to time the Society publishes special books and articles, the most recent is a book on the Monuments, Memorials and Markers in the Kingston Area.
Murney Tower Museum
The Murney Redoubt was built in 1846. The Tower was taken over in the early 1920s by the Kingston Historical Society and officially opened as a Museum in 1925. Now a National Historic Site, it continues to be run by the Kingston Historical Society, in partnership with Parks Canada.
Special Events & Projects
Each year the society conducts a service on June 6th at Cataraqui
Cemetery to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Sir John A.
Macdonald. His birth date, January 11th, is commemorated by a special
dinner and speech sponsored by KHS. The Society offers field trips from
time-to-time - special events have included coach tours to such places
as Ottawa and Prince Edward County, walking tours of local heritage
sites, and concerts featuring 19th-century music.
Society Meetings
The society meets usually at 7:30 pm, on the third Wednesday of
September, October, November, February (typically includes the AGM),
March, April and May in the Wilson Room, Kingston Public Library,
Johnson at Bagot Streets. Included are a brief business report and a
guest speaker, followed by a question period and refreshments. Topics -
often with accompanying images - cover a wide spectrum illustrating
regional history, the built environment, and culture. A Christmas party
is held in December (at different sites each year), a special dinner and
speech commemorating the birth date of Sir John A. Macdonald in January
(usually at Royal Military College) and the June meeting is replaced by
the Sir John A Macdonald graveside ceremony (at Cataraqui Cemetery).
Awards
The Kingston Historical Society Award, created in commemoration of the
One-Hundredth Anniversary of the founding of the Kingston Historical
Society in 1893, is presented from time to time to worthy individuals,
groups or institutions in recognition of outstanding contributions to
the preservation and interpretation of local history. See the list of past
recipients and images from past ceremonies
Executive & Council
