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CHAPTER 9 – HISTORIC and CULTURAL RESOURCES
Introduction
The historic and cultural resources of a community – e.g., its important buildings and structures, its museums and monuments, its arts facilities and programs, its array of community organizations – contribute significantly to the community's quality of life in a variety of ways. They often serve as a reminder of and provide a link to its social, economic and architectural past. They help to define the character of the community and contribute to its vitality, civic pride and uniqueness. They are a manifestation of the richness of the community's heritage and the diversity of its residents, both past and present. This chapter highlights Bristol's existing historic and cultural resources and recommends several means by which they might be preserved, enhanced and otherwise supported.
Sources of Information
- 1989 Bristol Plan of Development
- Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency
- Connecticut Historical Commission
- Federal Hill Historic District Study Committee
- Bristol, Connecticut, A Bicentennial History, 1785 – 1985
, Clouette and Roth, Phoenix Publishing, 1984
- Federal Hill Walking Guide
, City of Bristol, 1984
Key Findings, Conclusions and Issues
- Bristol is home to a variety of community, cultural and recreational facilities. These include:
- Lake Compounce amusement park – the oldest continuously operating amusement park in the United States
- A. Bartlett Giamatti Eastern Regional Little League Center
- American Clock and Watch Museum – contains over 3,000 clocks and watches, as well as a large library dedicated to the preservation of historic clocks
- New England Carousel Museum – houses one of the nation's largest collections of antique carousel art
- Bristol Memorial Military Museum – contains uniforms, decorations, weapons, photographs and other military-related memorabilia
- Greater Bristol Historical Society – exhibits period furniture, wedding dresses, dolls, toys and tools
- Witch's Dungeon Horror Movie Museum – houses legendary horror films and their original props and costumes
- There are other community and cultural activities within the city that currently do not have a permanently designated space or facility. These include the Bristol Symphony Orchestra, the Bristol Art League, and the Bristol Community Theatre.
- Compiled in 1979, Bristol's "Historic Resources Inventory" is a comprehensive survey of 620 properties in the city identified as having historical or architectural value and thus potentially eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. As of mid-1999, eleven individual properties and three areas in Bristol had been placed on the National Register. (See Figures 9-1 through 9-3.) They are as follows:
National Register Properties
Beleden House – 50 Bellevue Avenue
Bristol Girls Club – 47 Upson Street
Ernest R. Burwell House – 161 Grove Street
Copper Ledges – Founders Drive
Chimney Crest – Founders Drive
Forestville Passenger Station – Central Street
William I. Jerome House – 367 Jerome Avenue
Marlborough House – 226 Grove Street
Rockwell Park
Terry-Hayden House – 125 Middle Street
Townsend G. Treadway House –100 Oakland Street
National Register Districts
Federal Hill – Designated in 1986 with 290 structures, this original colonial town center was the civic and religious center of Bristol since the early 1700's. Today Federal Hill includes exceptional structures of Colonial and Greek Revival, Georgian, Italianate and Victorian styles. The mansions from Bristol's era as the clock-making center of the country and other large residences attributed to renowned architects such as Joel Case contribute to the rich character of the neighborhood.
Main Street – Designated in 1995 with 18 contributing structures, this district is located along the east side of Main Street between School and High Streets and along the west end of Prospect Street. The Art Deco-style Lorraine Building, the 1870 Mitchell Block, the 1900 railroad bridge, the Bristol National Bank and the Bristol Trust Company are among its significant structures.
Endee Manor – Designated in 1996, this residential neighborhood consists of 103 single-family and multi-family frame houses constructed in 1916 and 1917 by the New Departure Manufacturing Company as housing for its workers. Due in part to its protected location between the Boston & Maine railroad line, West Cemetery and Rockwell Park, Endee Manor retains much of its original character.
- The urban renewal activities of the 1960's severely altered the physical fabric of the center of Bristol. With the leveling and redevelopment of much of the city's downtown and the spread of strip commercial development along the eastern half of Route 6, Bristol lost some of its unique character and charm.
- Public awareness and education regarding Bristol's history and its cultural and historical resources are crucial to their existence. Increasing the publicity of the city's attractions may generate more usage, promote preservation of historic and community resources, and encourage new cultural or community facilities.
- The contribution of Bristol's cultural and community organizations to the quality of life of the city is significant, and attention should be given to their need for appropriate space for meetings, performances, displays and administration.
- Three types of structures that represent an important part of the city's historical and physical fabric are most at risk of being lost to inappropriate renovation or to destruction: large, architecturally and/or historically significant single-family residences; older, multi-story brick industrial buildings; and multi-story, multi-family residential structures that characterize the city's older, more densely developed neighborhoods, especially the West End.
Goals, Policies and Recommendations
Goal:
Maintain and improve those aspects of the city's historic and cultural resources important to its quality of life.
Policies:
1. Protect the city's historically and architecturally significant structures through acquisition, land development controls, and other preservation techniques.
2. Encourage as necessary the establishment, maintenance and/or growth of programs and facilities that address the cultural needs and desires of the community.
3. Promote greater public awareness and education of Bristol's history and its cultural and historical resources.
4. Require that new infill development in historic neighborhoods be compatible with existing development (e.g., in terms of scale, architecture, density, mass and proportion).
Recommendations:
1. Increase the publicity about the city's cultural and historic resources using a variety of promotional techniques such as neighborhood walking guides; informational plaques to identify historic buildings or areas; schedules of community events of interest to both tourists and residents; special events days, festivals and parades highlighting Bristol's heritage; and educational programs.
2. Establish a centrally located, multi-purpose facility to provide performance, display, meeting and administrative space for the city's cultural and community organizations.
3. Utilize a variety of techniques to preserve and enhance Bristol's historical resources, such as local historic districts and properties (Sec. 7-147b through Sec. 7-147v of the Connecticut General Statutes), village districts (Sec. 8-2j of the Connecticut General Statutes) and the Main Street Program (established by the National Trust for Historic Preservation).
Figure 9-1. Properties on the National Register of Historic Places
Figure 9-2. Federal Hill and Main Street, National Register Historic Districts
Figure 9-3. Endee Manor, National Register Historic District
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