Kingstown is the youngest of Cleveland County towns. It was incorporated in 1989 and named after Martin Luther King, Jr. Located just east of Brushy Creek, this is the vicinity of the former communities of Camp Call and Pearl. Camp Call had been used as a training ground for the Home Guard prior to the Civil War. Later the area came to be known as the Eskridge-Weathers Grove Community.
Kingstown’s Beginnings
In 1972, residents of the area asked Paul Ramseur to speak at the next county commissioners meeting. At that meeting, Mr. Ramseur asked that the area be referred to as the Kingston Community, and the main road that runs through the area be renamed Kingston Road.
By the 1980s, residents began the process of petitioning to get the community incorporated as a town.
The town was finally incorporated in July of 1989 as “Kingstown.” Since there was already a Kinston, NC, it was decided to make the spelling of the new town “Kingstown” so as to avoid confusion.
In 2019, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Department opened a satellite office in Kingstown.
Kingstown Churches
| Additional Information on Kingstown, NC |
| Kingstown, NC Facebook page |
| Kingstown, NC Wikipedia entry |
| Shelby Star article |
Cleveland County History 