Established in the mid-nineteenth century, the cemetery provides a final resting place for prominent individuals and families who were part of Kingston's African American community.

Due to the legacy of Slavery in the Hudson Valley, many of the surnames were Dutch, French Huguenot, and British given by the families who had enslaved them.

[1] Currently, there are 104 grave markers, and an estimated 13 of which were born prior to manumission in New York State (signed into law on July 4, 1827).

The Mount Zion Cemetery also holds the remains of many African-American veterans, including 26 Union soldiers from the Civil War.

They were in the ranks of the 11th, 20th, 27th and 39th Regiments of the United States Colored Infantry (USCT) who were laid to rest there from 1865 to 1911 (est).