Some Background on Kinston and Dorranceton


The Municipality of Kingston was incorporated in 1857 as a Borough. Kingston became a "Home Rule Charter" Municipality in the late 1970s. The Kingston Municipal Building is located at 500 Wyoming Avenue. Council Meeting minutes and ordinances still on file go back to the early 1900s I believe.

The Borough of Dorranceton merged with the Borough of Kingston sometime in the 1920s and ceased to exist as a separate local government. I believe that the state legislature's document approving the merger, signed and sealed by the Pennsylvania Governor of the time, is still in the vault at the Kingston Municipal Building. I saw it in a frame in there once a few years ago.

The former Dorranceton High School, later taken over by the Kingston School District, then the Wyoming Valley West School District, now sits as a long vacant decayed structure at Rutter Avenue and East Dorrance Street in Kingston. It is now privately owned and efforts are underway to convert it to apartments. "Dorranceton High School" is still carved over the front doors.

The former Kingston High School located on Chester Street, is now home to the Wyoming Valley West School District Middle School. "Kingston High School" is still carved over the front doors.

This information was supplied by David

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