Bristol

Borough of Bristol
Borough
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Bucks
Elevation	20 ft (6.1 m)
Coordinates	40°06′12″N 74°51′05″W / 40.10333°N 74.85139°W / 40.10333; -74.85139
Area	1.9 sq mi (4.9 km2)
- land	1.6 sq mi (4 km2)
- water	0.2 sq mi (1 km2), 10.53%
Population	9,923 (2000)
Density	6,016.5 /sq mi (2,323 /km2)
Settled	1681
Mayor	Joseph Saxton
Timezone	EST (UTC-5)
- summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP Code	19007
Area code	215
Location of Bristol in Bucks County
Location of Bristol in Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States

Bristol is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 23 miles (37 km) northeast of Philadelphia opposite Burlington, N.J. on the Delaware River. Bristol was first incorporated in 1720. Although its charter was revised in 1905, the original charter remains in effect, making Bristol one of the older boroughs in Pennsylvania. 7,104 people lived in Bristol in 1900; 9,256 in 1910; 10,273 in 1920; and 11,895 in 1940. The population was 9,923 at the 2000 census. The current Mayor is Joseph Saxton. The first woman Mayor was Margaret Stakenas elected in 1979.

History

First settled as Buckingham (for Buckingham, England) in 1681, the borough of Bristol, Pennsylvania is about 30 minutes north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was originally used as a port and dock. Bristol is rich in history, boasting many historic and restored houses that line the streets of Radcliffe and Mill.

From 1681 until 1725 Bristol served as the capitol of Pennsylvania Colony.^[1]

From its earliest days Bristol was a center of milling. With the building of the Delaware Canal and the Pennsylvania Railroad it became a center of transportation and an attractive location for industry.^[2]

By the 1880s Bristol was home to many factories, including companies manufacturing wall paper and carpet.^[3]

In 1917 Averell Harriman organized the Bristol Ship yards. The area around the ship yards was named Harrima. At some point, most likely in the 1950s, Harriman was annexed by Bristol.^[4]

During World War II the old shipyards were used to build air planes.^[5]

In 1961, Bristol gained national attention when the song "Bristol Stomp", by The Dovells hit #2 on the Billboard pop chart. The song remains a local favorite, and it is often played at ceremonies, parades, and sporting events.

Tourism

Attractions include: Bristol Riverside Theatre, Margaret R. Grundy Library & Museum, and King George II Inn, the oldest continuously run inn in the United States. The summer months are filled with many festivals and numerous free concerts, including May Antique Auto Show, Celtic Day, African-American Day, Italian Day & Arts & Crafts Fesitval, Fall Auto Show and Puerto Rican Day, all held at the Bristol Lions Park, Bristol Wharf and Mill Street along the Delaware River. Silver Lake Park and Nature Center provides an area of recreation. Bristol is also home to Historic Mill Street Shopping District, where the very first Side Walk Sale[1] was started over 55 years ago and still continues to this day. This Side Walk Sale is always held the following Thursday, Friday & Saturday following July 4.

Geography

Bristol is located at 40°6′12″N 74°51′5″W / 40.10333°N 74.85139°W / 40.10333; -74.85139 (40.103382, -74.851448)^{[6][page needed]}.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.8 km²), of which, 1.6 square miles (4.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (10.81%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census^{[7][page needed]} of 2000, there were 9,923 people, 4,004 households, and 2,442 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,016.5 people per square mile (2,322.0/km²). There were 4,207 housing units at an average density of 2,550.8/sq mi (984.4/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 73.46% White, 10.79% African American, 0.15% Native American, 1.34% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.50% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.53% of the population.

There were 4,004 households out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the borough the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $35,378, and the median income for a family was $44,517. Males had a median income of $35,090 versus $27,836 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $17,198. About 8.2% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.7% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Bristol Borough School District comprises two public schools: Warren Snyder-John Girotti Elementary School (K-6) and Bristol Jr. Sr. High School (7-12). Other schooling opportunities in Bristol are offered through the Roman Catholic parish schools of both St. Ann Church (K-8) and St. Mark Church (K-8), both located in the borough. Conwell-Egan Roman Catholic School in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania provides private/parochial schooling for children in grades 9-12.

Notable people from Bristol

• Poul Anderson, Science Fiction writer.
• Daniel W. Bursch, Astronaut.
• John F. Cordisco, Former State Representative and Bucks County Democratic Committee Chairman.
• Tony DiStefano, Motocross national champion.
• Ileen Getz (August 7, 1961 - August 4, 2005), Actress.
• Joseph R. Grundy (January 13, 1863 – March 3, 1961), Textile manufacturer and politician.
• Lauren Holly, Actress.
• Brad Little, Actor.
• Jeff Manto, Professional baseball player.
• Joe McEwing, Professional baseball player.
• Joseph McIlvaine (October 2, 1769 - August 19, 1826), United States Senator.
• William Rodman (October 7, 1757 – July 27, 1824), United States Congressman.
• Joanna Fox Waddill, American Civil War nurse; known as the "Florence Nightengale of the Confederacy."
• Todd Weiner, Professional football player.
• Niles Young,Professional Wrestler
• Will Thomas, Novelist
• Jeffrey Costello, Fashion Designer

See also

• Burlington-Bristol Bridge

References

1. ^ Bristol, Pennsylvania - LoveToKnow 1911
2. ^ http://www.bristolborough.com/History.html
3. ^ http://www.bristolborough.com/hist300.htm
4. ^ Bristol Yard
5. ^ Bristol, PA: History, Destinations and Activities
6. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
7. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Bristol (Pennsylvania).

• Living Places: Bristol Borough, Pennsylvania
• Bucks County dot Net: Bristol Borough, PA
• Bucks Views: Bristol Borough, PA
• Bristol Cultural and Historical Foundation, Inc

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