Bristol dates to 1681, and 52% of its homes were built before 1940
Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns · #12 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
9 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal, a National Historic Landmark, and five historic districts with 564 buildings between them. Below: 21 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1800.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1775.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Bristol’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bristol is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #12 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 3 inputs put Bristol near the top nationally; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bristol’s overall grade.
Pennsylvania towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Pennsylvania town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Bristol’s 580 sits above most of its state (95% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 574 historic buildings outnumber those of 98% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.0 points). Two sources give 1681.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Bristol’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Samuel Clift founded the Borough of Bristol, having received a land grant from Edmund Andros, who was then governor of New York. The grant became effective on March 14, 1681 (new style) or March 4, 1681 (old style) at the same time as William Penn's Charter from Charles II became effective. Clift was required by the grant to maintain ferry service across the Delaware River to Burlington, New Jersey, and to run a public house or inn. The inn later became known as the George II.
Passages that mention Bristol, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A history of Bristol borough in the county of Bucks, state of Pennsylvania, anciently known as "Buckingham"1911 · page 22Read the page →
Read the text
Thus will be seen the methods by which the roadways leading into Bristol were laid out. The ferry had much to do with the attraction of travel in this direction, in those early days, and a few years later was an important factor in the consideration of a site for the market town of Bristol.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A history of Bristol borough in the county of Bucks, state of Pennsylvania, anciently known as "Buckingham"1911 · page 150Read the page →
Read the text
The First Railroad. — The railroad came to Bristol in 1834. The track was made of flat iron bars laid on North Carolina stringers. The first train of cars run on the road was from Trenton to Bristol, drawn by horses. It ran down Market Street to the wharf, and passengers for Philadelphia were transferred to a steamboat and carried down the river to their destination.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Historical sketches of Bristol Borough,in the county of Bucks, anciently known as "Buckingham"1853 · page 46Read the page →
Read the text
This Church edifice is mentioned in the original charter act incorporating the town of Bristol, which the reader will see in a note on page 17 of this work. The land for erecting the Church and for the burial ground was donated by Anthony Burton, a gentleman of much note and usefulness in those early times, and one of the three first projectors of the town.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
Bristol, decade by decade
9 decades in the archive, from the 1770s to the 1950s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bristol. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1947Bristol sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bristol.
Every building
Bristol, building by building, 1886–1927
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
In 1681, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Bristol’s post office opened in 1775, and the census of 1800 counted 511 people here.
How does Bristol rank for history?
Bristol is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #12 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Bristol?
9 listings: 4 buildings and 5 historic districts with 564 contributing buildings. 574 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Bristol?
52% of Bristol’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.0 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1938.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (35), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (9), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
★ Landmark
1808
1808
1808
1808
1880
1923
1927
1930
1933
1956
Date?
Date?
Date?
Date?
Date?
2026
2026
2024
2020
2020
2020
2017
2015
2014
2012
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
