Persen House — Attraction in City of Kingston

The Persen House is a unique historic house located in Kingston, NY. The earliest parts of the house date back to 1661. Over the years different owners added different additions to the house. The house is named after Matthewis Person (1739-1810) who resided in the house longer than any other person. The house is located at the intersection of John and Crown streets. Each of the four stone structures at this intersection pre-date the Revolutionary War. The house was burned in 1661 and 1777 in two different wars. It is possible to see the burn marks from 1777 above one of the doors. This house is presented much differently than other historic houses. Each part of the house is numbered in chronological phases. Phase 1 is the oldest part dating back to 1661. Phase 5 is the youngest part of the house dating back to 1922. In each room a description of the room is given and artifacts from the house’s history are presented in different display cases. Some of the artifacts presented include plates, glass items, toothbrushes, oyster shells, pottery, leather shoes, and even an ivory domino. The house has a variety of brochures, guides, and books that describe the history of the rooms and artifacts. Whereas other historic sites decorate or furnish the rooms often with recreated historical pieces, this place leaves it up to you to imagine what the rooms were like in their different phases. Best of all, a historical gem like this is free to the public. When at this house it is nice to look at the surrounding houses of the stockade district. Most of these houses date back a long way. Remarkable historic figures like Sojourner Truth also lived right down the street from this house. Also near the Persen House is the State Senate House historic site, where the first meeting of the NY State Senate was held in 1777. If you like history, the Persen House is a great...

Watch out for days the revolutionary war reenactors are in the area. The First Ulster County Militia always does a great job demonstrating the 18th century. They were here today to celebrate the official marking of the intersection of four of the oldest buildings in Kingston, one being the Persen house! It was around 1661 that the oldest part of the house was built, and today the county was able to unveil a new placard on the street designating this area a historic landmark. The house is well staffed and there are always a great group of people with wonderful...

We received a very warm welcome by a knowledgeable guide to this most historic building in the town of Kingston. There are a great many rooms and interesting artifacts to view, so do make sure to explore the rooms upstairs and watch the video on the preservation of some of the documents.

We were even able to take some colouring books home as souvenirs, which was most generous, as there was no entry charge.

Although the building is a little hidden behind the main shopping streets, it is worth finding, but do check the opening...