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Community Center
11212 State Hwy 104
Kingston, WA 98346
360-297-3330
Library History
The Kingston Library became a
member of the Kitsap County Library in 1945 after being encouraged by the County Librarian, Hazel Duncan who helped the interested group find an adequate space for its library. An
"open house" on July 10, 1945, marked the beginning of service in the small cafeteria room behind the Kingston schoolhouse, a room that was used not only by the
children but also by the townspeople.
Mr. George Bonner made the shelves with lumber donated by the Port Gamble Mill. Major Albert Swift, Mrs.
Maxine Minert, Mrs. Joseph Pickels, Mrs. Vara Newman, and Mrs. Marie Swift were among the first board members. Mrs. Bernice Refilling was the first librarian.
After the old school house became a part of the County Park System, efforts were made to move the library into one of the school rooms. Major Swift, along with
fellow Kingston Rifle Club members built more shelves and arranged them in the former 1st/2nd grade room. In 1959, about 1/3rd of the room was partitioned off for a storeroom and
the ceiling was lowered to reduce heating costs. In 1976, it was necessary to remove the partition again since more space was desperately needed. In 1985, the Bayside Community
Church moved to their new building and the old building became the Community Center. Capital improvement funds from a library levy were used as start up funds for the Center so
the library could be moved to its present location.
Friends of the
Library back to top
The Friends meet at the Kingston Community Center on the second Tuesday of each month. Membership dues are $5 annually. For more information, contact the
current presidents, Barbara Tack or Patricia Nygard, c/o Kingston Library, P. O. Box 519, Kingston, WA 98346.
Wildlife back to
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Baby chicks usually visit for a week or two in April. May brings frog eggs. They stay through the pollywog stage. A frog or two may stay
longer, until the staff is tired of finding live food for them. They are all returned to the pond where they started.
We also get the random mouse, snake,
a lobster once. Large strange caterpillars have formed their chrysalis in the library. (And became butterflies the next spring.) Patrons have come in with a wide selection of
"critters" to be identified, usually leaving them for a day or two.
You just never know what you will find! back to top
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Kingston 
