Bristol County Jail
a.k.a. Bristol Historical and Preservation Society
48 Court St., Bristol, RIThe building now occupied by the Bristol Historical and Preservation Society lies within the heart of the historic center of Bristol on a narrow lane (Court Street) that runs from Hope Street to High Street, two important and old thoroughfares. Facing the head of Court Street on the Town Common is the Bristol County Courthouse, a Federal-period building erected in 1817 and now entered on the National Register. Also within half a block of the old Bristol County Jail is the former Bristol Post Office and Customs house designed by Ammi B. Young in 1857, now owned by the local Y. M. C. A. and also entered on the National Register. The former jail is important to its immediate neighborhood and makes a significant contribution to the total environment: it is an unusual building type in basically unaltered condition and now is accessible to the general public. One of a limited number of extant Bristol structures constructed of granite rubble and not stuccoed, the character of its walls is an outstanding feature.
In 1936, the Bristol Historical Society was formed and the first official meeting was held in December, at the Bristol County Courthouse. In 1952, the first floor of the Rogers Free Library building was procured as a permanent meeting place, but this building burned in July 1957, causing dama Re to society's possessions and papers. Not long afterward the old Bristol County Jail was vacated, and the society was able to obtain from the State of Rhode Island a twenty-year lease of the building and grounds. The first meeting there was held on May 3, 1959, and subsequently, help towards restoration and adaptation was given by many interested citizens--especially Norman Herreshoff, a member of a family long rooted in the community.
The organization which is now called the Bristol Historical and Preservation Society has had to make functional alterations and repairs to its building, including the creation of a meeting room, a reference library, etc. Society is now interested in restoring the building to its original appearance as far as is feasible. Projects proposed include restoration of the Greek Revival front entrance with sidelights and transom; replacement of all sash to the twelve-over-eight and twelve-over-twelve original patterns; removal of an added brick chimney at the rear; repointing of stonework; and, finally, restoration of the fireplace and brick ovens in the basement.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.