250 Facts: Celebrate Bristol's Past

Celebrate 250 years of American history, culture, and community in Bristol, Rhode Island! This once-in-a-lifetime event is a community-wide celebration of our collective historic milestone!

Early History & Native Americans

Bristol is bordered on the west by Narragansett Bay and on the east by the Kickemuit River, which flows into Mount Hope Bay.
Bristol consists of a twin peninsula that surrounds Bristol Harbor.
Bristol is situated on the ancestral lands of the Pokanoket peoples.
The name "Pokanoket" refers to both the people and the larger territory they inhabited, which encompassed much of what is now Bristol and parts of southeastern Massachusetts.
The Pokanoket peoples’ main settlement was called Sowams (now modern Bristol).
Sowams was the center of the tribe’s political, religious and social life. It was also a critical center for early diplomatic and trade interactions between Native peoples and English settlers.
The Pokanokets lived in houses called Wetus, which were made of poles and Walnut tree bark.
The Pokanokets’ food came from planting corn, catching fish and wild game, and digging for soft-shell clams.
The tradition of making clambakes in Bristol was passed down from the Pokanokets and other local tribes.
Local Native tribes, including the Pokanokets, taught the English settlers how to plant corn, beans, and squash using fish as fertilizer.
“Massasoit”, meaning Great Sachem, was the title given to Ousamequin (Yellow Feather), the leader of the Pokanoket.
When the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth Harbor in late 1620, Ousamequin (The Massasoit) was the leader of the Pokanoket people.
In March 1621, Ousamequin (The Massasoit) negotiated and established a peace agreement with the original Plymouth Colonists. The peace lasted for over 50 years and remains the longest period of time between wars in American history.
In the winter of 1636, Ousamequin (The Massasoit) offered shelter and care to his longtime friend Roger Williams after Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Ousamequin (The Massasoit) died in 1661 and was succeeded by his son, Wamsutta, also known as Alexander.
Wamsutta/Alexander died one year after becoming The Massasoit. Many Pokanokets believed he was poisoned by the English.
Wamsutta/Alexander was succeeded by his younger brother, Metacom, whom the English called King Philip.
Metacom/Philip held councils at the Sachem’s seat, which was located in Sowams at the base of the cliff at Mount Hope. This geological feature is known today as King Philip’s Throne (or King Philip’s Seat).
The first attacks in what is known today as King Philip’s War occurred on June 20, 1675. These attacks stemmed from strong disagreements between the Colonists and the Native peoples over encroaching settlements. They would continue until August, 1676.
Colonel Benjamin Church led the Colonial forces against the native tribes, while Metacom/Philip rallied his people and many other indigenous peoples against the Colonists. Native peoples and white Colonists fought on both sides of the conflict.
King Philip's War was fought throughout New England, as far west as the eastern regions of New York and as far north as Maine.
Metacom/Philip was killed on August 12, 1676, in the mirey swamp at Mount Hope.
Metacom/Philip’s wife and son were captured, enslaved, and sent to the Caribbean, where they died.
In 1876, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the end of King Philip’s war, the Rhode Island Historical Society placed the “Cold Spring Monument” in the woods at Mount Hope, marking the co-ordinates of where King Philip was killed.
King Philip's War (1675-1676) was the bloodiest per capita in American history, with roughly 30% of the New England English population and potentially up to half of the Native American population in the region dying from battles, disease, and starvation.
The end of King Philip’s marked a major change for the Pokanoket peoples. The name Pokanoket stopped being used on maps and documents after the war.

Colonial Bristol

After King Philip’s War, the Mount Hope Lands (originally home to the Pokanoket peoples) were ceded by Right of Conquest to King Charles II.
On September 14, 1680, Plymouth Colony sold the Mount Hope Lands to four Boston merchants, Nathaniel Byfield, Nathaniel Oliver, Stephen Burton and John Walley, for 1,100 British pounds. They are considered the founders of Bristol.
Plymouth Colony dispersed the money from the sale of the Mount Hope Lands to English Colonists whose property had been lost during the war.
The four founders of Bristol— Nathaniel Byfield, Nathaniel Oliver, Stephen Burton and John Walley— laid out streetscape of the Town of Bristol and sold lots to those interested in settling there.
The first Town Meeting was held on September 1, 1681. Eighty individuals were admitted as citizens at that first meeting, including the”widdo” Elizabeth Southard.
Even though no one at the first Town Meeting was from Bristol, England, it was decided to name the town Bristol, in the hopes it would become as prosperous a seaport as its’ namesake.
The town seal and flag feature elements inspired by the coat of arms of Bristol, England, and include a ship, reflecting its maritime heritage. The arm squeezing the snake represents virtue. The arm holding the scale represents industry. The Town motto was also taken from that of Bristol, England, “Virtute et Industria.”
Citizens of Bristol are called Bristolians. Traditionally, you have to have been born here to be considered a true Bristolian.
The Town’s original streets were laid out in a grid-iron pattern, with each block of land forming an eight-acre parcel.
The four original north-south streets were Thames, Hope, High, and Wood. The nine original east-west streets were Oliver, Bradford, Franklin, State, Church, Constitution, Union, Burton, and Walley.
Many original street names were changed over time. State St. was first called Charles St. and then King St. Church St. was first called Queen St. Union St. was originally called Rope-Walk Lane. After the American Revolution, the pronunciation of Thames Street was changed from “Temes” to “Thames”.
The first settlers were required to purchase a two acre parcel or one-quarter of a block. Those purchasing parcels on the east side of Thames Street also received the irregular shoreline lots to the west.
The first settlers were required to build their houses within two years of arriving in Bristol. Each house was to be two stories tall facing the street and each floor was to have at least two rooms. Each house was to have a chimney of brick, or stone.
The first houses were built from local materials like oak and birch trees. Plaster was made from clam and oyster shells. Chimneys were constructed of stones found in the soil.
Nathaniel Byfield built two houses in the town. One, located on what is now Byfield Street, was later torn down and replaced in 1833. The other, located on Poppasquash Neck, burned in 1925.
The Deacon Nathaniel Bosworth House at 814 Hope Street and the Reynolds House at 956 Hope Street are two examples of original Colonial-era houses still standing. The Reynolds House has been designated a National Historic Landmark.
The first English child born in Bristol was named Hope. She was born on November 8, 1681.
The first recorded death was that of Mrs. Lawton and her baby, who died in childbirth in 1682. They were buried on the Town Common.
The Congregational Church was organized in Bristol and met in the home of Deacon Nathaniel Bosworth at Silver Creek. After the Town House was built on the Town Common in 1684, the congregation met there every Sunday until 1784, when the Town House was torn down.
The First Congregational Church possesses a surviving pulpit panel dating to 1687. Yale University has called this panel one of the most significant extant pieces of interior church architecture in America.
The members of the Congregational Church were required to build their own family pews. One pew door from the original pews is held in the church’s collections.
The First Congregational Church of Bristol holds a notable history of progressive milestones. It was the first mainline church in America to ordain an African-American (1783), elect a woman as pastor (1853), and begin ordaining gays and lesbians (1972).
Most Colonial-era Bristolians worked in some sort of trade, as butchers, bakers, house carpenters, or fishermen. They supplemented their incomes with small scale farming.
Bristol's first major product was onions, which were packed in barrels and traded with other towns or sold to ships about to make long sea voyages. Onions helped prevent scurvy.
In 1686, Nathaniel Byfield, one of the Town’s founders, built the first merchant vessel in Bristol, which was named the Bristol Merchant. He used this vessel to ship Narragansett Pacer horses and Rhode Island-grown tobacco to Dutch Surinam.
The "rope walk," a business that made rope by hand for ships, was very important to the town for over 200 years. There were many rope-walks in Bristol, including one along the east side of the Town Common and one on Union Street, between High and Hope Street. Union Street was originally called “Rope Walk Lane.”
In its founding years, Bristol’s deep water harbor served as a busy shipping port. It was the fourth largest in Rhode Island in terms of cargoes being imported and exported.
The first town wharf was built for merchant Nathaniel Bosworth at the west end of Oliver Street in 1722. Before that, incoming vessels docked at one of two docks on Thames Street between Church Street and State Street.
In 1692, when Plymouth Colony went bankrupt, Bristol was absorbed into the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It became part of Rhode Island in 1747, when a long-standing boundary dispute with the Massachusetts Bay Colony was settled.
Bristol County, RI was incorporated in 1747 and included Bristol, Warren and Barrington. Bristol was designated as the Shire Town.

Bristol Town Common &
Public Buildings

The Town Common is the plot of land located in the center of town. It measures eight acres and was set aside by the Town’s founders to serve as a public space.
The town’s founders, Nathaniel Byfield, Stephen Burton, John Walley and Nathaniel Oliver, enshrined the Town Common as an open and public place in Bristol’s Grand Articles in 1680.
The idea to have a Public or Town Common dates back to Medieval English times.
In addition to serving as open space, the Town Common has also been used as a drilling field, for grazing livestock (which were overseen by a Town shepherd), a burial ground, a church, and for public events and assemblies.
The first religious building built on the Town Common was the Congregational Meeting House, constructed in 1684. It was torn down 200 years ago.
Currently, the oldest building on the Town Common is the First Baptist Church, which was built in 1814. In addition to being the oldest structure on the Common, the Baptist Church is also the oldest church edifice in Bristol.
When smallpox first arrived in Bristol in 1732 (via a ship from Baltimore), a house located on Town Common that was being rented by Mr. William Gladding was seized and turned into a “Pest House” (short for pestilence). The Pest House was used again for other smallpox outbreaks in 1737 and 1760. It has since been demolished.
In 1737, a portion of the Town Common was ordered to be converted into a public burial place. When the East Burial Ground was established across Wood Street in 1811, this area became known as the West Burial Ground.
The Bristol Statehouse was constructed on the Town Common in 1817. At the time, there was a Statehouse in each of RI’s five counties and RI State Legislative sessions were held at each in rotation. When the Legislature began meeting only in Providence, the Statehouse was converted into a Courthouse for Bristol County.
During the American Revolution, the Town Common and the area immediately surrounding it were used for military purposes, including the training of local militia.
The Bristol Train of Artillery’s Armory was constructed in 1843 on a site across from the Town Common’s north side. In the past, they used the Town Common for militia training drills.
The Bristol Train of Artillery Armory houses a museum collection of artifacts, uniforms, and records related to the unit's long history.
In 1848, burials on the Town Common were discontinued. The headstones were moved to the East Burial Ground in 1857.
The Walley Primary School, located on the Town Common, is named after John Walley, one of the original four proprietors who founded the town in 1680. It was designed in the Colonial Revival style.
The Bristol Town Jail on Court St. was constructed in 1828 out of a combination of granite blocks and stones used as ballast in early Bristol sailing ships.
St. Michael’s Episcopal Church was founded in 1718 as one of four missionary churches in Rhode Island. It was funded by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, which was headquartered in London.
St. Michael’s original wooden church was burned by the British on May 25, 1778 during the Revolutionary War. The British believed stores of gunpowder were being stored there (they were actually stored at the Congregational Church).
The second St. Michael’s Church was constructed in 1785. This building was deemed too small for the growing congregation and replaced with a third building in 1833.
The third St. Michael’s Church caught fire in December, 1858. It was replaced with the current building (the fourth St. Michael’s Church), which was constructed in 1861.
The current St. Michael’s Episcopal Church was designed by New York architects Lawrence Valk and Alexander Saeltzer in the High German Gothic Style.
Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum is a 33-acre waterfront estate and a nationally significant example of the Country Place Era.
The current Blithewold mansion was built in 1908 in the English Tudor Revival style following a fire in 1906 that destroyed much of the original Late Victorian Shingle style house.
The 33-acres of Blithewold Mansion’s gardens and arboretum feature unique landscaping elements, including a rare bamboo forest, bee hives, and numerous curated gardens.

The Revolutionary War in Bristol

While the United States of America declared its independence from King George, III of England on July 4, 1776, Rhode Island had already declared its Independence on May 4, 1776, a full two months earlier.
Captain Thomas Swan and a boat crew from Bristol were involved in the burning of the British revenue schooner Gaspee in Narragansett Bay on June 9, 1772. This event was a key act of Colonial defiance leading up to the Revolutionary War.
Bristol suffered two significant attacks by British forces during the American Revolution: the naval bombardment on Saturday October 7, 1775 and a land and sea raid referred to as “The Burning” on May 25, 1778.
The small British armada consisting of five ships that bombed Bristol in 1775 was led by Captain Sir James Wallace who was aboard the HMS Rose.
Captain Sir James Wallace of the HMS Rose demanded that Bristol give over “200 sheep & 30 fatted cattle” or else the town would be bombed.
When Bristol’s Town leaders refused to answer the British demand for “200 sheep and 30 fatted cattle”, the five British ships stationed in Bristol harbor fired their cannons at the town.
Among the buildings hit by cannonballs during the bombardment were the John Walley house on State Street, Mr. Finney’s still house on Thames Street, and St. Michael’s steeple.
During the bombing of Bristol, the minister of the First Congregational Church, Reverend John Burt, who was an avid supporter for separation, died of fright as he fled his home.
The bombardment was stopped when Captain Simeon Potter, RI Deputy Governor William Bradford, and other Town Council members met with Captain Wallace on board HMS Rose and got him to reduce the demand to 40 sheep.
On February 12, 1776, in the wake of the Bombardment of Bristol, the Bristol Train of Artillery (BTA) was formed to protect the town from invasion and attacks, and to help keep the peace.
The Bristol Train of Artillery is one of the oldest military organizations in the United States.
Members of the Bristol Train of Artillery have served in nearly every major American conflict. They served at the Battle of Rhode Island during the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Dorr Rebellion, the Civil War, World War I and World War II.
On May 25, 1778, 500 British and Hessian solders returned to Bristol and raided the town. They landed about at Aaron Ave., marched north to raid Warren, and then turned south to march through Bristol.
During the Bristol raid, the British burned a total of 30 houses, barns and other outbuildings, as well as The Church of England (St. Michael’s), which they were told held gunpowder and munitions (The gunpowder and munitions were actually held at the Congregational Church).
During the Bristol raid, all adult males found along the British route of march were arrested, including Mr. Jonathan Reynolds, who was taken from his sickbed, and Hezekiah Usher, a well known Loyalist whose house was burned by the British.
Colonel Barton and 200 volunteers met the British on Ferry Road in Bristol as the British were leaving Town. The two forces skirmished.
During the skirmish, the British placed their captive prisoners to their rear to use as human shields and proceeded to the Ferry landing, where they boarded their waiting ships. It was said the British left a trail of blood all along Ferry Road, to the shoreline. Col. Barton received a severe wound in the hip, from which he never fully recovered.
The British took all prisoners taken during the Bristol raid to Newport, where they held them for several days. Most were released promptly.
The Battle of Rhode Island was fought over a three day period in August 1778.
The Battle of Rhode Island was the first joint Franco-American military operation of the American Revolution. The American troops were forced to withdraw after the French fleet was too damaged during a storm to provide aid.
From September 7 through September 22, 1778, following the Battle of Rhode Island, the Marquis de Lafayette made his headquarters in Bristol at the Joseph Reynolds House at 956 Hope Street.
While in Bristol, Lafayette was in command of the Continental Army, which was responsible for defending the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay from the British forces, who were occupying Newport.
A well-known local story claims that upon his arrival in Bristol, the 21-year-old Marquis de Lafayette rode up to the Reynolds House alone and asked Mrs. Reynolds for food. Expecting a much older man in a uniform, not a young man in civilian clothes, she fed the young man in the kitchen. When she mentioned she was preparing for General Lafayette, the young man revealed himself, saying, "Madam, I am the Marquis de Lafayette!”
The Joseph Reynolds House, where Lafayette stayed during the American Revolution, is one of the oldest buildings in Bristol and has been designated a National Historic Landmark.
In October, 1779, the British forces evacuated Newport, ending the immediate threat to Bristol. The British attention would focus on the Southern theater of war from this time forward.
On March 12, 1781, General George Washington visited Bristol to coordinate with Lafayette and the French allies.
In 1785, Rev. Henry Wight, a Revolutionary War veteran, established the "Patriotic Exercises," which included a reading of the Declaration of Independence and a prayer vigil at the Congregational Church. These events grew into the annual Bristol Fourth of July Parade celebration.22

Bristol After the Revolution

Between about 1790 and 1800, Bristol was the busiest port in Rhode Island in terms of total imported and exported cargo volume.
After the Revolution, Bristol surpassed Newport as a center for slave trading voyages.
While many Bristolians were involved in the slave trade, the Bristol-based DeWolf family was responsible for the largest number of slaving voyages departing from Bristol.
The DeWolf distillery, which occupied the NW corner of State and Thames Sts., was a key component of the family’s massive empire. The DeWolf brothers purchased the distillery from Jeremiah Finney, whose daughter, Charlotte, had married William DeWolf.
The DeWolf family used their distillery to convert molasses into rum. The rum was used to trade for enslaved people, who were then transported to DeWolf-owned plantations in Cuba and other ports in the Americas.
In 1791, James DeWolf was tried for felony murder for throwing overboard an enslaved woman who had become ill with smallpox during a slave-trading voyage. He was later acquitted for the crime.
During the War of 1812, James DeWolf's privateer ship, the “Yankee”, was the most successful American privateer, capturing or destroying many British vessels valued at over £1 million.
By 1820, the De Wolfs had become the wealthiest slave trading family in America. James DeWolf was the second richest man (behind John Jacob Astor) in America.
The wealth generated by the DeWolf family's slave trading activities and other commercial enterprises funded the construction of five prominent De Wolf family mansions. The grand Federal-style mansion Linden Place built in 1810 for George DeWolf at a cost of $60,000.00, is the only one still standing.
In 1821, James DeWolf was elected to the US Senate. He is the only U.S. Senator in history to be tried for felony murder committed while in command of a vessel.
The DeWolf family, along with other Bristol slave traders, continued to trade in human enslavement well after such activities were outlawed by the US Government in 1808. Evidence suggests that they continued to trade into the 1820s.
In 1825, the over-leveraged George DeWolf went bankrupt, dragging Bristol’s economy into a multi-year depression. He and his family fled Bristol for his Cuban plantation, Arc d’Noe. He returned to the United States only a few months before his death in 1844.
Wealth generated by the slave trade produced a large number of ornate Federal and Greek Revival mansions. These are easily seen along Hope and High Sts. and on the side streets in between.
“New Goree”, a free black community, grew up in Bristol in the area located on the east side of Wood St. between Jack Barney Lane (Rock Street) and Crooked Lane (Bay View Ave.) It extended to Buttonwood St. on the east.
The Great Gale (Hurricane) of 1815 caused considerable destruction to Bristol. The shoreline of Thames St. south of Constitution St. was washed away. The steeples of the First and Second Congregational Churches were partially blown down, and the roofs of both the Episcopal Church and the First Congregational Church were partially carried away.
Gas lighting, first used in the 1820s, came to Bristol in 1855. Linden Place was one of the first houses to be fitted for gas lighting.
The gasometer that created the gas used for gas lighting was built on what today is the front lawn of the Guiteras School. The use of gas illumination ended when Narragansett Electric purchased the Bristol Gas Works in the early 1930s.
The Pokanoket Steam Mill was the first mill built in Bristol in 1830. It was located on the west side of Thames Street between Church and Constitutions Sts. This building is now the center section of the Robin Rug mill complex.
The Bristol Steam Cotton Mill, was built on the Thames Street waterfront in 1836. This building is now part of the Stone Harbor Condominium.
Key 19th century manufacturing operations established in Bristol included the Burnside Rifle Company (founded 1853, moved to Providence in 1857), the Dixon Lubricating Saddle Company (moved to Bristol in 1880), and the National India Rubber Company (founded in 1863).
In 1854, Bristol ceased to be one of Rhode Island's rotating five capital cities. This change reflected the decline in political centrality of smaller coastal towns as the state government consolidated permanently in Providence and Newport.
The practice of having multiple capitals (in Bristol, Providence, Newport, East Greenwich, and South Kingstown) was unique to Rhode Island.
During the Civil War, over 300 members of the Bristol Train of Artillery served in many different regiments and participated in over 30 battles.
The founding of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in 1878 by brothers, John Brown Herreshoff and Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, brought a significant new economic engine to Bristol. As boat builders, the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company parlayed off Bristol’s early history as a sea-faring economy.
Naval architect Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, a Bristol native and co-founder of Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, was widely known for his engineering genius and went by the nickname "The Wizard of Bristol.”
The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company gained worldwide fame for designing and building innovative, high-speed steam yachts, torpedo boats, and America’s cup-winning sailboats.
Narragansett Bay is noted for its superior wind conditions. Bristol’s access to the bay was one of the key reasons why it became a hub for America's Cup-caliber shipbuilding and sailing.
The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company built the USS Cushing (TB-1) in 1890. It was the first torpedo boat to be commissioned by the United States Navy.
Nathanael G. Herreshoff designed the yacht Gloriana in 1891. The Gloriana was noted for its new and revolutionary hull profile, which forever changed racing yacht design.
The National India Rubber Company was founded in 1863 at the height of the Civil War by Augustus O. Bourn. The National India Rubber Company quickly became the largest employer in Bristol.
Augustus O. Bourne, founder of the National India Rubber Company, also served as Governor of Rhode Island and as U.S. Council to Italy.
By the late 19th century, Bristol had become a summer destination for wealthy industrialists seeking relief from crowded cities.
The Blithewold estate was purchased in 1894 by Augustus van Wickle, a Pennsylvania coal magnate. The name Blithewold means “happy woods.”
Augustus Van Wickle commissioned a new steam yacht from the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, reinforcing the town's connection to elite leisure and sailing culture.
The Providence, Bristol and Warren Railroad was constructed in 1855 along what is now the East Bay Bike Path. It was powered by coal engines.
Built in 1883, Burnside Memorial Hall was designed by Stephen C. Earle, a noted architect who worked primarily in Worcester and Boston. It was built in the popular Richardsonian Romanesque style.
Burnside Memorial Hall was dedicated in honor of Major-General Ambrose E. Burnside, who lived in Bristol. It housed Bristol’s Town Hall and Town Offices until 1969.
Major-General Ambrose E. Burnside was born in Liberty, Indiana in 1824 and died in Bristol in 1881. During the Civil War, he was appointed head of the Army of the Potomac. After the war, he served three on-year terms as Governor of Rhode Island and two as U.S. Senator. He died while in office during his second Senate term.
According to tradition, the facial hair style called ‘sideburns’ was named after General Burnside, who wore them and made them fashionable.

The 1900s

By 1900, Bristol's population had grown to over 1,400 citizens.
By 1900, Bristol saw a significant increase in the number of foreign-born residents, as new waves of immigrants from places like Italy, Portugal, the Azores, and Eastern Europe came to work in the town's factories and mills. They joined older, well-established English, French, German and Irish communities already living in Bristol.
The first electric trolly in Bristol was built in 1888. The end of the line in Bristol was located on High Street just south of Burton Street, where there was a turntable for the trolly to turn around and head back north.
By 1900, the historical "New Goree" neighborhood, a long-standing free Black community, had largely disappeared. The construction of the National India Rubber Company in the center of the neighborhood combined with job discrimination to push many African-American families to move to cities like Providence.
Between 1893 and 1914, Nathanael G. Herreshoff designed five consecutive yachts (Vigilant, Columbia, Constitution, Reliance and Resolute) that successfully defended the America's Cup race, bringing immense prestige to the boat building family and their company.
Herreshoff-designed defenders were victorious in the America's Cup in 1901, 1903, 1907, and 1914, with the final pre-Great Depression defense occurring in 1920. This streak made Bristol the unofficial capital of American competitive yachting.
The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company developed the "Universal Rule," an early measurement rule for racing yachts that governed America's Cup eligibility and ushered in the famous J-Class era of racing yachts from 1914 to 1937.
Beyond the America's Cup, Captain Nathanael Herreshoff is credited with pioneering the bulb keel, the hollow aluminum mast, and the cross-cut sail design, all still standard features in modern yachting today.
During World War II, under the Lend-Lease program, the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company shipyard contributed to the war effort by building wooden-hull coastal transports and PT (Patrol Torpedo) boats for both the U.S. Navy and for Great Britain.
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad purchased and electrified the Providence, Warren, and Bristol line in 1900, creating an interurban-style electric rail service.
Bristol’s only commercially-produced automobile, the Novara, was designed and built by A. Sidney De Wolf Herreshoff, a designer of yachts, in the Herreshoff Yacht Yard, located at the end of Burnside Street. The Novara was offered at a price of $2,750.00 through a partnership with the Isotta Fraschini Motors Company of New York.
Rockwell Park was generously donated to the Town of Bristol in 1914 by industrialist and philanthropist Albert F. Rockwell. The site was formerly occupied by the DeWolf Inn, a hotel built in 1896 to accommodate summer tourists.
The Mount Hope Bridge was finished in 1929, connecting Bristol with Portsmouth on Aquidneck Island.
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) created jobs during the Great Depression that put unemployed people back to work. In Bristol, WPA workers built the sea wall at the foot of Burton Street, sidewalks in the downtown area and the Naval Reserve Armory, now the Bristol Maritime Center, at the foot of Church Street.
During World War II, Bristol’s factories and mills were dedicated to the war effort, hiring women to work swing shifts and night hours. Many also held special hours for high school students to work part-time.
In 1960, the shoe company Converse acquired a manufacturing plant on Buttonwood Ave., where they produced Converse sneakers. The factory had previously been owned by the Bristol Manufacturing Company, which was a subsidiary of the rubber giant B.F. Goodrich Co.
The Converse factory continued Bristol’s long history of rubber production. For many years, the production of rubber goods was one of Bristol’s principal industries.
The Converse factory was a major presence and employer in Bristol, providing a significant number of jobs for local residents. Residents could also purchase Converse sneakers inexpensively at the factory.
Converse ceased operations at the Bristol plant in the late 1990s, as the company was facing bankruptcy. Converse was eventually purchased by New Balance.

The Colt Family &
Colt State Park

Colt State Park occupies 464 acres of land on Poppasquash neck, between Narragansett Bay and Mount Hope Bay in Bristol.
Colt State Park is named for Bristol resident Samuel P. Colt, who originally owned the land and used it as a private estate.
Colonel Samuel Pomeroy Colt (1855-1921), industrialist, politician, banker and grandson of the DeWolf family, was one of the town's most powerful and influential economic, political and social figures.
Samuel P. Colt was the nephew of Samuel Colt, the famous Hartford, CT firearms manufacturer and inventor of the Colt Revolver.
Samuel P. Colt’s connection to Bristol came through his mother, Theodora Goujard DeWolf Colt. Theodora was the daughter of George DeWolf, who built Linden Place. She had married Christopher Colt, of the Colt Firearms Company, in Connecticut, and was the mother of Samuel Pomeroy Colt.
In 1865, Linden Place was purchased by Edward Colt, who restored it for his mother, Theodora DeWolf Colt. This represented a homecoming for Theodora, who at age 5 had left Bristol for Cuba when her father, George DeWolf, went bankrupt.
The historic Linden Place mansion has hosted four U.S. Presidents: James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, and Chester A. Arthur.
Samuel P. Colt gathered the area that is now Colt State Park by purchasing four abutting farms, including North Point Farm and Coggeshall Farm, between 1903 and 1914.
In 1886, Samuel P. Colt founded the Bristol Institution for Savings, which became The Industrial Trust Company in Providence. He served as president until 1908.
Samuel P. Colt took over the bankrupt National India Rubber Company in 1888 and founded the United States Rubber Company. US Rubber was a major employer in Bristol.
Samuel P. Colt served in several high-level political posts in Rhode Island, including four terms as the State Attorney General from 1882-86.
Samuel P. Colt had notable political failures, including losing a race for Governor in 1903 and being part of a deadlocked race for the U.S. Senate in 1905-07 that required 81 legislative ballots to resolve.
Located at 570 Hope Street, the Colt Memorial School was gifted to the Town of Bristol by industrialist and businessman Samuel P. Colt in 1906.
Colt built the Colt Memorial School as a memorial to his mother, Theodora DeWolf Colt, to honor her legacy and his affection for her.
The Colt Memorial School is made of white marble with cast-bronze window bays and features an opulent interior with marble, wood paneling, Corinthian columns, and a stained -glass window in the auditorium.
The Colt Memorial School was originally constructed to serve as Bristol’s High School. It was used for this purpose until 1966, when Mount Hope High School (originally the John F. Kennedy High School) was built on Chestnut Street.
Samuel P. Colt adorned his private estates with statuary that he had collected on his many trips to Europe. In Colt State Park, the stone bridge crossing the Mill Gut at North Point duplicated one he had seen on a trip to Wales.
Samuel P. Colt built the stone barn in what is now Colt State Park to house his herd of prized dairy cows.
The main entrance to Colt State Park was originally known as “Colt’s Drive.” It is marked by the famous “Bull Gates.”
While the bulls at the gates of Colt State Park are widely believed to be named Conrad and Pomeroy, they were actually christened “Sam” and “Barry”. They were sculpted in Paris by Isadore Bonheur and placed on their marble bases in 1913.
Samuel P. Colt had the phrase "Private Property, Public Welcome" carved into the marble piers at the entrance to what is now Colt State Park, reflecting his intention that the land be accessible to the public even during his lifetime.
Samuel P. Colt had a collection of cars and constructed a garage at Linden Place around 1905 to house them.
On July 4, 1910, Samuel P. Colt hosted a massive, high-society ball at his opulent family mansion to celebrate the mansion's 100th anniversary. It was reported to be "the most brilliant social affair in the annals of the history of the old town of Bristol.”
The DeWolf-Colt family's social prominence was further cemented when Samuel P. Colt’s son, Russell, married the famous stage and screen actress Ethel Barrymore in 1909. Ethel was an occasional resident of Linden Place.
Ethel Barrymore is the great-aunt of actress Drew Barrymore.
Samuel P. Colt died in 1921 at Linden Place and is buried in the Colt family plot in Juniper Hill Cemetery in Bristol.
The Colt family continued to own and maintain “Colt’s Drive” and his estate for several decades after the death of Samuel P. Colt in 1921. In his will, Colt required that the property remain open to the public.
Under the “Green Acres Act,” the State of Rhode Island purchased the Colt Estate in 1965 and dedicated it as Colt State Park in 1968.

Modern Day Bristol

On the 2020 census, the population of Bristol was listed as 22,493.
Bristol County, RI, which contains the towns of Bristol, Warren and Barrington, is one of the smallest counties in the United States by total area.
Bristol County, RI is the smallest county in RI, which is the smallest state in the United States.
Bristol County, RI and Bristol County, MA are the only two counties in the United States with the same name that border each other.
According to the 2020 Census, the largest ethnic group in Bristol County, RI is White (Non-Hispanic), which makes up about 88.7% of the county's population.
Bristol has a significant and vibrant Portuguese-American community. It is also home to many Italian-Americans and Irish-Americans.
The median household income in Bristol is high for the state, estimated to be at around $96,005 (town) and $110,926 (county).
Major industries in Bristol include boat building, manufacturing, education, and tourism.
Bristol County, RI is often ranked as one of the best counties to live in Rhode Island, generally indicating a high quality of life and a strong economy.
The Town of Bristol is located on peninsula and is surrounded by water on its western, southern, and eastern sides. Bristol borders the Town of Warren to the north.
The sub-peninsula known as Poppasquash Neck forms a natural protection for Bristol Harbor.
The sub-peninsula known as Poppasquash Neck derives its name from the native word Pappoosesquaw. The word has seen several changes in spelling and usage over the centuries.
From the air, the peninsula of the Town of Bristol and the sub-peninsula of Poppasquash Neck give Bristol the distinct image of a lobster’s claw, about to pinch Hog Island.
At 221 feet above sea level, Mount Hope, located on the southeasterly shore of Mount Hope Bay, is the highest elevation in Bristol. Juniper Hill is the second highest at 150 feet above sea level.
The core of Bristol's downtown area retains its original grid pattern as laid out by the four Boston merchants who purchased the land in 1680.
Bristol’s early Colonial-era street plan is one of the best-preserved in New England.
Bristol’s downtown is focused on local businesses, favoring mom-and-pop gems over large chain restaurants and shops.
Modern Bristol's nightlife and craft beverage scene includes at least three local micro-breweries, reflecting current trends in the East Bay area and tying in with Bristol’s rum-distilling past.
Bristol’s historic town center and waterfront, with its well-preserved 18th- and 19th-century architecture, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bristol's “Revolutionary Heritage Byway" is the only designated National Scenic Byway in the State of Rhode Island.
Bristol celebrated its 300th birthday (Tercentennial) in 1980 with many special events and programs. To commemorate the anniversary, the Town published a history entitled “Bristol: Three Hundred Years.”
Bristol is home to America's oldest continuous Fourth of July celebration, which began in 1785. The festivities last for multiple weeks and culminate in a parade on July 4th.
Due to the extent of its Fourth of July festivities, Bristol is known as the “Most Patriotic Town in America.”
Bristol’s Hope Street (Rte. 114) is marked with a red, white, and blue stripe down the center instead of the traditional double yellow line. The Town received permission from Congress to do this.
The Bristol Fourth of July parade attracts over 200,000 visitors annually.
A key event in the Bristol Fourth of July celebrations is the annual Firemen's Muster, a competition where local fire departments show off their skills and often demonstrate historical firefighting techniques.
A long-standing local tradition in the Bristol Fourth of July festivities is the Orange Crate Derby, where kids can race their homemade cars.
The "Miss Fourth of July" competition was established in 1948 and continues today. “Miss Fourth of July" contestants are typically between 16 and 21 years old and must be residents of Bristol.
The "Little Miss Fourth of July" competition for younger girls was created in 1997, several decades after the “Miss Fourth of July” competition. "Little Miss" contestants must be between 7 and 10 years old and must be residents of Bristol.
Bristol is the southern terminus of the 14.5-mile East Bay Bike Path.
The East Bay Bike Path is a key recreational corridor connecting Bristol to Providence. Town Administrator Thomas Byrnes proposed the bike path and was its most staunch supporter. (Thank You Mr. Byrnes!)
Colt State Park features over four miles of paved pathways that are popular for walking, jogging, and bicycling. These paths connect to the larger East Bay Bike Path.
Colt State Park contains an open-air "Chapel by the Sea," a popular and intimate location for wedding ceremonies with a scenic view of Narragansett Bay.
Samuel P. Colt’s magnificent stone Dairy Barn, which he built to house his prize-winning Jersey herd, survives to this day and is now used as the Offices of Colt State Park.
Colt State Park offers a wide range of recreational activities, including picnicking, fishing, boating, and flying kites in its large open fields.
Bristol is home to Roger Williams University, a major employer and a leading institution for liberal arts and professional education.
Roger Williams University was established in 1956 and moved to its current campus on the Bristol waterfront in 1969.
Roger Williams University is home to the Feinstein Campus Exhibition Hall, which frequently hosts public exhibits that contribute to the town’s cultural life.
Roger Williams University established the Roger Williams University School of Law in 1993. It is the only law school in the state of Rhode Island and is hailed for its focus on public interest law.
Roger Williams University offers several notable and highly specialized professional programs, including a highly-regarded and accredited School of Architecture (the Cummings School of Architecture). Its graduate program in Historic Preservation takes advantage of its proximity to Bristol’s unique historic architecture.
The town's public library, the Rogers Free Library, was founded in 1877 by Maria Rogers in honor of her late husband, Robert Rogers, a banker and an avid book collector.
Bristol owns and operates the Bristol Golf Park, a nine-hole municipal course that was historically part of a larger, private 18-hole course.
Mount Hope Farm’s 127-acres located on the shores of Mount Hope Bay is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recognized as an Accredited Arboretum.
Founded in 1971, the Herreshoff Marine Museum preserves the legacy of Bristol’s maritime past and occupies the former site of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company shipyard.
Bristol is one of eight communities that make up the Sowams Heritage Area, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering appropriate stewardship of and appreciation for the historical, cultural, and natural significance of the Sowams region.
In 2025, Brown University, which owned a large portion of the historic Mount Hope lands, transferred 255 acres of its property in Bristol to a preservation trust established by the Pokanoket Indian Tribe.
The Bristol Historical & Preservation Society maintains a museum and research library. Their collections feature many different types of artifacts, including textiles, early portraits, and Fourth of July parade memorabilia.
The Coggeshall Farm Museum is a living history museum in Bristol that represents the daily life of a late 18th-century tenant farm family, complete with historic buildings and heritage farm animals.
Bristol is home to the Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s Nature Center and Aquarium, which provides education exhibits and trails that explore local habitats and wildlife.
The Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s Nature Center and Aquarium is situated on a 28-acre wildlife refuge that includes a variety of habitats, including upland meadows, fresh and saltwater marshes, and a shoreline view of Narragansett Bay.
The Environmental Education Center at the Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s Nature Center and Aquarium features the state's largest public aquarium, which showcases local marine life. A popular exhibit includes a 33-foot life-size model of a North Atlantic Right Whale hanging from the ceiling.
Bristol hosts the annual British Motorcar Festival, typically in June. This large event showcases classic and contemporary British automobiles against the scenic backdrop of Independence Park.
Founded in 1963, the Bristol Art Museum hosts art exhibits and artist workshops throughout the year. It is located in what was the Carriage House at Linden Place.
The "Bristol Porch Fest,” usually held in September, is a unique annual cultural event where residents throughout the downtown area open their porches for local bands to play.
Bristol participates in Art Night Bristol-Warren, a recurring event that encourages people to visit local galleries, artist studios, and art-friendly businesses, often featuring live music and demonstrations.
A memorial sculpture entitled “Our Ancestors Come With Us” honors the memory of those impacted by the Transatlantic Human Trade. It is located on the waterfront in Independence Park.
A program of the James D. Reilly Foundation, the Bristol Santa House provides immersive holiday experiences free of charge for children with disabilities or special needs and their families.
Bristol is the best place in the world to live, work, and relax. We invite you to visit and enjoy all our beautiful town has to offer.

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