Кингстри: Тарих, Шіркеу және Азаттық Күресі

The original town was laid out as Williamsburg by the Lords Proprietors in colonial times, but a lone, unusually large white pine was found along the Black River. Since tall white pines were ideal for use as masts for ships, it was claimed by the Crown on behalf of the king. The broad arrow mark was carved into the tree to prevent any colonists from cutting it. Though white pines are native to the Appalachians as far south as Georgia, it is the only tree of King George’s ever found in the South. Over time, the county kept the name Williamsburg, but the county seat became known as the King's Tree.

General Francis Marion, known as the Swamp Fox, defeated the British at the Battle of the Lower Bridge in March 1781. A historical marker between US Highway 521 and the Black River denotes the battle.

After the British had captured Charles Town during the revolution, General Marion gained supporters from Major John James. The Battle of King's Tree took place on August 27, 1780. The city sustained losses, including Indiantown Presbyterian Church being burned to the ground.

Williamsburg Presbyterian Church was founded in August 1736. The church consisted of three structures. Its founders built the first church in 1738 across from the Williamsburg Cemetery in town; the second building was constructed in 1828 and was across from the Williamsburg Cemetery as well. The third, the current structure of the church located on North Academy Street was built in 1914. The stained glass windows on the roof of the church today were imported from Austria. One of the stained glass windows on the roof was removed in 1989 during a renovation and was placed behind the pulpit of the sanctuary. The first person to be buried in the church cemetery was John Witherspoon(1670–1737), the father of James Witherspoon, builder of Thorntree. Williamsburg Presbyterian Church celebrated its 275th Birthday in October 2011. The church held a service to share Kingstree's history. The church is the oldest church that still exists today between the Santee and Cape Fear Rivers in North and South Carolina. Williamsburg Presbyterian is the mother church to 33 other Presbyterian churches. Two daughter churches include nearby Union Presbyterian church in Salters, South Carolina, and Indiantown Presbyterian Church in Williamsburg County. The Kingstree company formed at Williamsburg Presbyterian Church's original churchyard in July 1780. The company was led by Captain Henry Mouzon and later turned into the battalion and then formed a brigade led by Francis Marion against the British. The British occupied the home during the revolution when it was at its original location, on the Black River. Gavin Witherspoon was the owner at the time. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8 km2), of which 3.1 square miles (8 km2) are land and 0.04 square miles (0 km2) (0.63%) is covered by water.

The Black River is a free flowing river surrounded by banks of undisturbed land. The river has habitats suitable for endangered species, including the American chaffseed and the swallow tailed kite. The black color of the river comes from tannins from cypress trees. The river draws sportsmen because of the variety of fish, including bream, red breasted sunfish, largemouth bass, and catfish.

+Kingstree Racial CompositionRaceNum. Perc. White76723.64%Black or African American2,25569.51%Native American140.43%Asian692.13%Pacific Islander480.04%Other/Mixed882.71%Hispanic or Latino511.57%
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 3,244 people, 1,414 households, and 725 families residing in the town.

The "Pig Pickin'" Festival is held every fall for all the chefs of Kingstree to compete in a barbecue recipes. The festival draws crowds from all over to test the Williamsburg County vinegar based barbecue. In 2010, the festival had a record breaking number of contestants. Seventy groups competed with contestants that traveled from other states including North Carolina and Georgia. The area golf course, Swamp Fox Golf Course, sponsors a golf tournament to begin the events every year for the festival. Other events include tennis tournaments, car show, arts and crafts, food venders, live music, and activities for children.

Since 1996, the Williamsburg Hometown Chamber has sponsored "The King's Tree trials" for those in the Kingstree community. The races take place at the McCutchen training center which is the home of Deborah and Bobby McCutchen in the Cedar Swamp area on a weekend in November. Jockeys and their horses are brought in for the event.