Bristol, Pennsylvania

This article is about the borough in Bucks County. For Bristol Township, the township in Bucks County, see Bristol Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Borough of Bristol
Borough
Lions Park on the Delaware River
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Bucks
Elevation	20 ft (6.1 m)
Coordinates	40°06′12″N 74°51′05″W
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	9,726 (2010)
Density	6,016.5 / sq mi (2,323 / km2)
Settled	1681
Mayor	Robert Lebo
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 9,726 at the 2010 census. The current Mayor is Robert Lebo. The first female Mayor was Margaret Stakenas elected in 1979.

History

House on Mill Street constructed in 1781

Bristol's Harriman Historic District.

First settled as Buckingham (for Buckingham, England) in 1681, the borough of Bristol, Pennsylvania is about 30 minutes north of Center City 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.

Until 1725 Bristol served as county seat of Bucks County.

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.

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

In 1917 Averell Harriman organized the Bristol Ship yards. The area around the ship yards was named Harriman. In 1922 Harriman was annexed by Bristol.

During World War II the old shipyards were used to build air planes.

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

The historic King George II Inn, in downtown Bristol

The historic Grundy Mills Complex, a former textile mill in Bristol.

Attractions include the Bristol Riverside Theatre, and the Margaret R. Grundy Library and Museum. In the summer there are many festivals and free concerts, including the Antique Auto Show, Celtic Day, African-American Day, Italian Day, an Arts & Crafts Festival, the Fall Auto Show and Puerto Rican Day, all held at the Bristol Lions Park, Bristol Wharf and in the Historic Mill Street Shopping District by the Delaware River.

Silver Lake Park and Nature Center provides an area of recreation.

Geography

Bristol is located at 40°6′12″N 74°51′5″W (40.103382, -74.851448).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), of which, 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km²) of it (10.81%) is water.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1930	11,799		—
1940	11,895		0.8%
1950	12,710		6.9%
1960	12,364		−2.7%
1970	12,085		−2.3%
1980	10,867		−10.1%
1990	10,405		−4.3%
2000	9,923		−4.6%
2010	9,726		−2.0%
www.dvrpc.org/data/databull/rdb/db82/appedixa.xls

As of the 2010 census, the borough was 73.8% Non-Hispanic White, 9.5% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, and 3.5% were two or more races. 14.2% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.

As of the census 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 per square mile (984.4/km²).

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-8) and Bristol High School (9-12). 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. Higher education in Bristol includes Pennco Tech.

Notable people

• 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.
• Eddie James, convicted murderer.
• 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.
• John Thompson Dorrance, founder of Campbell Soup Company.
• William Edward Hanford (December 9, 1908 – January 27, 1996), chemist.
• David Todd, Record promoter and producer.
• Charlie Saxton, actor

See also

• Burlington-Bristol Bridge

External links

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