Discover 6 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Bristol (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Grundy Mill Complex, Church of St. James the Greater, and Dorrance Mansion. Also, be sure to include General Stores and Mold Loft Building-Harriman Yard of the Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Bristol (Pennsylvania).
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Grundy Mill Complex
The Grundy Mills Complex or Bristol Worsted Mills in Bristol, Bucks County, Pennsylvania includes 13 textile mill buildings built from 1876–1930, by the William H. Grundy Co. It operated as a worsted mill until 1946 and still is used for industrial operations.
The 1911 clock tower is 168 feet (51 m) tall. Other buildings range from 1 to 7 stories tall. The larger buildings, built from 1900–1915, include the warehouse, the powerhouse, and the clock tower, are monumental in scale and can be seen from well outside the town. Over 850 workers were employed in the plant in 1920 when it was the largest employer in Bucks County.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The Grundy Mill Clock Tower was the subject of a 2017 painting by Jean-Marc Dubus. Jean-Marc, an immigrant from Nice, France, and current resident of Langhorne, PA, chose to paint the tower for its architecture and grandeur, standing watch over Bristol Borough. The painting is on display at the Centre for the Arts in Bristol, PA, and was recently highlighted by Bob Kelly on FOX News 29 and Instagram.[1]
Church of St. James the Greater
Episcopal church in Bristol, Pennsylvania. The Church of St. James the Greater is an Episcopal church located in the heart of the Bristol Historic District in Bristol Borough, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania and the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.[2]
Dorrance Mansion
Historical landmark in Bristol, Pennsylvania. The Dorrance Mansion is a historic house built in 1862-63, located at 300 Radcliffe St. Bristol, Bucks County, Pennsylvania on the Delaware River in the Bristol Historic District. The house represents the lavish life of Bristol's early Victorian industrialists. It is considered one of the grandest homes on Radcliffe Street and is the only example of residential Italianate architecture in Bristol. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.[3]
General Stores and Mold Loft Building-Harriman Yard of the Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation
Warehouse in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. General Stores and Mold Loft Building-Harriman Yard of the Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation, also known as Manhattan Soap Company Warehouse, is a historic warehouse located at Bristol, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1917, and is a three-story, rectangular reinforced concrete building. The warehouse building was one of a complex of approximately 30 buildings constructed by the Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation at Harriman Yard during World War I. In 1925, it was acquired by the Manhattan Soap Company, which was acquired by the Purex Corporation in 1956. It was later used as a manufacturing facility for Dial soap until 2000.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.[4]
Bristol
The Bristol Historic District in Bristol, Pennsylvania was included on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The district has over 300 buildings, a few dating back to the early eighteenth century. It includes 28 acres, which is the area of the original town as laid out in 1697 and is bounded by the Delaware River, and Lincoln, Pond, Cedar, and Mill Streets. Most of the buildings are residential and only 22 are considered to be non-historic intrusions to the district.[5]
Jefferson Avenue School
Jefferson Avenue School is a historic school building located at Bristol, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1908, and is a three-story with basement, fieldstone schoolhouse building with limestone trim and a hipped roof. It features Georgian Revival detailing including a large central frontispiece with a large semi-elliptical window. About 1986 the school was renovated and became apartments or condominiums.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[6]