Guide to the Bristol Historical and Preservation Society Vertical Files, 1680-1993


Bristol Historical and Preservation Society
PO Box 356
48 Court Street
Bristol, RI, 02809
Tel: 401-253-7223
email: info@bhps.necoxmail.com

Published in 2014

Collection Overview

Title: Bristol Historical and Preservation Society Vertical Files
Date range: 1680-1993
Creator: Bristol Historical and Preservation Society
Extent: 400 folder(s)
Abstract: The Vertical Files include newspaper clippings, original documents, research notes, and other paper items relating to the specific topic covered by the subject. The Vertical Files are broken down into Subject Headings and further into Subject Subheadings.
Language of materials: English
Repository: Bristol Historical and Preservation Society
Collection number: Bristol Historical and Preservation Society Vertical Files

Scope & content

These files include newspaper clippings, original documents, research notes, and other paper items relating to Bristol history.

Access Points

Subject Topics

Arrangement

The Vertical Files are arranged in three series. Files within each series are arranged alphabetically by major topics.

  • Series 1: Subject Files
  • Series 2: Genealogical Files
  • Series 3: House Files

Historical Note

Today the Bristol Historical and Preservation Society houses a research library which contains more than 1800 books and documents of regional and local historical interest, extensive genealogical materials, deeds, ships’ journals, tax records and census lists. The Society’s museum collections include a major collection of early Bristol portraits including four by itinerant artist Cephus Thompson.

The Bristol Historical Society was founded in 1936 to "promote interest in historical research, stimulate the study of the history of Southern New England, especially the Town of Bristol, and collect and preserve whatever is related thereto." Prior to housing the collections in the jail building on Court Street, the Society was located at the Rogers Free Library building. In 1957, a disastrous fire at the Library destroyed many of the Society's treasures and resulted in its lease of the then abandoned Bristol County Jail for use as a museum, library and meeting space.

By 1972 the Society changed its name to the Bristol Historical and Preservation Society to reflect its concern with preservation. In 1976, the Society placed historic plaques on more than one hundred buildings as part of the American Bicentennial Celebration and to make officials and the citizens aware of the need to preserve Bristol through passage of the historic district zoning which was enacted in 1987 for part of the downtown area of Bristol.

The Society is very active with monthly meetings throughout the year with lectures and presentations from local historians, architects, preservationists, university professors, museum experts and writers.

Access & Use

Access to the collection: There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment.
Use of the materials: Researchers are advised that express written permission to reproduce, quote, or otherwise publish any portion or extract from this collection must be obtained from the Bristol Historical and Preservation Society.
Preferred citation: Bristol Historical and Preservation Society Vertical Files, Bristol Historical and Preservation Society.
Contact information: Bristol Historical and Preservation Society
PO Box 356
48 Court Street
Bristol, RI, 02809
Tel: 401-253-7223
email: info@bhps.necoxmail.com

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION  
Acquisition: The artifical collection was created by volunteers at the Bristol Historical and Preservation Society.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID  
Author: Finding aid prepared by Claire Benson.
Encoding: Finding aid encoded by Molly Jencks. 2014 May 29
Descriptive rules: Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Inventory


Series 1. Subject Files
Includes approximately 400 individual files arranged under the following topics:

  • African Americans in Bristol - see also Slavery
  • Animals
  • Art
  • Autographs
  • Banks
  • Books, Journals and Memoirs
  • Bridges and Canals
  • Bristol, England
  • Bristol, RI
  • Bristol County
  • Burnside
  • Business, Bristol
  • Cards
  • Celebrations
  • Celebrations - Fourth of July files are housed separately
  • Cemeteries - All cemetery files are housed separately
  • Census
  • Children
  • Churches
  • Coal Mines
  • Crime
  • Custom House
  • Daughters of the American Revolution
  • East Providence, RI
  • Elections
  • Fires and Explosions
  • Flags - New England Flag of 1930
  • Foodstuffs
  • Franklin, Benjamin, and Bristol connection
  • Fraternal Orders
  • Gardens and Plants - See also Houses
  • Genealogy Files - All files are housed separately, unless noted
  • Gold Rush
  • Guns, Shoulder Arms, Side Arms - See Weaponry
  • Historic Preservation, Historical Societies
  • Hotels
  • Household Goods
  • Houses and Farms
  • Insurance
  • Islands
  • Landmarks
  • Land Transfers
  • Library
  • Lighthouses
  • Manufacturers
  • Maps
  • Medical
  • Mills
  • Military - See War
  • Museums
  • Music
  • Native Americans
  • Newspapers
  • Newport, RI
  • Organizations
  • Painters and Illustrators
  • Paintings
  • Parks
  • Plymouth Colony, Town of, Settlement of
  • Poetry
  • Police
  • Portraits - See Painters, Painting
  • Portsmouth, RI
  • Poverty
  • Presidents and Presidential Campaigns
  • Prohibition and Temperance
  • Providence, RI
  • Radio
  • Restaurants
  • Rhode Island, State of
  • Schools
  • Sermons and Proceedings
  • Ships, Sailing and Seamen
  • Slavery - See also African-Americans in Bristol
  • Stores and Pharmacies in Bristol RI
  • Storms and Weather
  • Swansea, MA
  • Taxes, Local and Federal, Bristol Town Tax Lists
  • Tiverton, RI
  • Tools
  • Transportation
  • Travels
  • Universities
  • Utilities
  • Verrazzano
  • Veterans' Associations
  • Wars
  • Warehouses
  • Warren, R.I.
  • Weaponry
  • Weathervanes
  • Wharves, Harbor and Waterfront - Bristol
  • Williams, Roger
  • Women
  • Yachts
  • YMCA

Series 2. Genealogical Files
Includes approximately 300 name files.

Series 3. House Files
Includes approximately 400 house files containing printed histories, news clippings, and photographs regarding Bristol properties.