The Bristol Waterfront Historic District is a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

encompassing the original heart of

Bristol, Rhode Island Bristol is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, US as well as the historic county seat. The town is built on the traditional territories of the Pokanoket Wampanoag. It is a deep water seaport named after Bristol, England. The population of B ...

, which was laid out in 1680 by the town's original proprietors. It stretches from Bristol Harbor to the east side of Wood St., as far north as Washington Street, and south to Walker Cove. The district's principal areas of importance are the waterfront area on the west side, and the Town Common, part of the original layout, which forms the civic heart of the town. It is one of the few planned communities in the state, and the only one of such great age. The district features residential, civic, and commercial architecture encompassing most of its more than three centuries of existence. Its 19th-century architecture is particularly strong in examples of the work of native son Russell Warren. The district was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1975. Major buildings in the district which are separately listed on the National Register include the

Bristol County Jail Bristol County Jail is a historic jail at 48 Court Street in Bristol, Rhode Island, and home to the Bristol Historical and Preservation Society. The jail was built on the site of a previous jail house dating to 1792 and salvaged materials were u ...

, Bristol County Courthouse, and the

Bristol Customshouse and Post Office Bristol Customshouse and Post Office is a historic two-story rectangular Italian palazzo style brick building that was used as a post office and customshouse in Bristol, Rhode Island, United States. The land for the site was acquired for $4,400. ...

References

Historic districts in Bristol County, Rhode Island Bristol, Rhode Island Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island {{BristolCountyRI-NRHP-stub

See also

References