KINGSTON, Ga. – This north Georgia town, though today a quiet hamlet, once served as a crossroads.
It was here the Rome Railroad and the Western & Atlantic Railroad came together. And although no railroad buildings are still standing in Kingston, the remains of the former depot and the former rail yard’s right of way remain.
Kingston is perhaps most famous for its role on April 12, 1862. Members of the Andrews Raid were stranded in the yard for 64 minutes waiting for southbound freights to pass.
Kingston’s history changed in 1943, when the Rome Railroad stopped its passenger service and the tracks were abandoned. Likewise, passenger service on the Western & Atlantic Railroad continued to decline in the 1950s and 1960s and ultimately ceased on the railroad, then leased by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad.
Today, CSX operates trains along the tracks and through Kingston. The former rail yard can still be seen and a majority of the area is a public park. Two historical markers recognize the Rome Railroad and the city’s role in the Andrews Raid.