Rivers Canals and Trails that Shaped American Commerce and
Manufacturing
Bristol is
the oldest town in Bucks County and the third oldest in Pennsylvania. It is the southern terminus of
the D&L
Trail characterized by coal yards, shipyards, warehouses and
textile mills. Its Delaware Riverfront resembles a New England seaport.
During World War II, the shipyards were converted for use in the manufacturing
of aircraft. Today, Bristol hosts special events near the river and the
Radcliffe Street Historic District. The improved waterfront and the nearby 235-acre
sanctuary Silver Lake Nature Center offer miles of trails and habitats of more
than 160 species of birds, raccoon, muskrats, opossum and deer.
The History of Bristol
Borough closely parallels the economic, commercial, and industrial history of
the United States. In the late ’60s, U.S. Steel Corporation closed its
facilities and thousands of employees lost their jobs.
Bristol is Home
to America’s Oldest Continuously Operating Inn
Founded in 1681,
Bristol Borough is nestled along the Delaware River and midway between
Philadelphia and New York. The self-described gritty town benefits from an East
Coast resiliency but is also home to hospitable residents.
The building of the 60 miles (96.6 km) long, forty feet wide, and
five feet deep Delaware Canal, Bristol became a transshipment gateway connecting
the coal barges flowing down the Lehigh Canal from Easton to Philadelphia. Its
docks also had regular ferry services to New Jersey. Later, rail service would
also connect the anthracite flowing through the canals, to the riverine barge
and boat traffic, and to provide rail depots servicing the manufacturing sector.
By the 1880s Bristol was
home to many factories, including companies manufacturing wall paper and carpeting.
In World War I, the Bristol docks had sufficient space for a shipyard to
construct twelve building slips for the construction of merchant vessels.
Between the world wars, the eighty-acres of the shipyard were let out to
various concerns, including one area converted to building the flying boats amphibious
planes.
During World War II the old
shipyards were used to build airplanes. Today the preserved elements of the
shipyard, and other buildings once important in Bristol's past service are
enshrined and celebrated in the Bristol Historic District and Industrial
District.