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Images of the variety
of residential and commercial buildings within
the Bristol Historic District
Photographs from the National Register collection
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Bristol dates
from 1681 when Samuel Clift began operating a ferry across
the Delaware River. The settlement composed primarily
of Quakers grew around the ferry, and in 1697 residents
petitioned the Provincial Council to establish the community
as a market town. During the last half of the 18th century
Bristol gained prominence as a ferry landing and a way
station for the New York to Philadelphia stagecoach. Between
the 1780s and the 1820s it became famous for its spa,
as people flocked to Bath Springs to take the waters.
A number of wealthy residents soon settled in the area
and built large grand residences. Shipbuilding and completion
of the Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal in
1832 transformed Bristol into a transportation hub. Property
along the riverfront soon filled with wharves, docks and
warehouses to accommodate shipments arriving on the canal;
and mills and factories were built along the canal where
water provided power and transportation for goods. There
are more than 300 residential and commercial buildings
within the historic district, some dating back to the
early 18th century. Bristol, as the third oldest city
in Pennsylvania, was known for its premier spa, its activity
related to the Pennsylvania Canal, and as the most important
industrial town in Bucks County.
The Bristol Historic District is bounded by New
Brook St. , the north-west property of 301-305 Lincoln
St., including 328 to 310 Lincoln St., and follows Radcliffe
and Mill Sts., with sections of Market, Mulberry, Walnut,
Franklin, Dorrance, Lafayette, Washington and Jefferson
near the river. The Friends Cemetery on Wood St. and
Pond St. where it intersects with Mulbery and Market
Sts. are in the boundaries. Opposite the District is
Burlington Island, in the Delaware River, which is in
New Jersey. Many of the businesses within the
district open to the public during normal business hours.
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