CATE'S SPOTLIGHT: Historic Bristol Day House Tours Set

715 Radcliffe Street is on the tour.
Credit: Submitted

SAVE THIS DATE . . . Saturday October 19, 2024 . . . Historic Bristol Day!

Come for a day of F-U-N! Always the Third Saturday in October! 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Historic Bristol on the Delaware has been a site of recreational venues for the community for centuries, and one event in particular is reminiscent of the great fairs held in town during the colonial period.

This FREE to attend, family- oriented experience is sponsored by the Bristol Cultural & Historical Foundation and adeptly chaired by Mary Gesualdi to command Mill & Radcliffe Streets and the Bristol Riverfront Park.

The event includes great entertainment, house and garden and historical tours, crafters and vendors, an amazing car show at Snyder- Girotti Elementary School chaired by the extreme car enthusiast cousins, Mark Louis Gesualdi and Christopher Joseph Gesualdi, an antique boat show, children’s activities, and a food court by the lovely Delaware River..

The popular craft area will be located in the 200 and 300 blocks of Radcliffe Street [*closed to car traffic leaving the area open for pedestrians].

Bristol Day is also chock-full of colonial like entertainment including music, dance, living history, children’s games, and particularly delicious festive food.
Savor a hearty meal in the town’s excellent handful of gem restaurants.

It will be fun for the entire family!

Since 1978, the venue has included historic home and garden tours.

Tour Tickets are $20 AND each includes an invitation to the TEA from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the South lawn of the Grundy Museum. Advance tickets are available at Mignoni Jewelry & Gifts, Bird of Paradise Flowers, the Mill Street Pharmacy, and the Bristol Tax Office. Tickets on Historic Bristol Day can be purchased at the information tables located on the corner of Radcliffe and Walnut Streets, and the corner of Radcliffe and Market Streets.

Bristol Borough generously opens its doors to remarkable architectural history through public tours of lovely, unique, privately owned homes as beautiful as they are significant in U.S. history.

Stepping inside one of these well-preserved homes gives visitors a glimpse of architectural achievements, as well as the lifestyles and traditions of the past.

House A *202 Jefferson Avenue
This DIY home was purchased from the Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalogue for $1,062.00 and arrived via railroad boxcars as precut. These kits included most of the materials needed to build a house and the homeowners would have 90 days to empty the boxcars and then assemble their new mail-order homes.

GARDEN ONLY *205 Jefferson Avenue
The stunning backyard garden was added by the Kalinowski family who owned this home that was built in 1917. The new owners will open their garden that includes Crepe Myrtle, Japanese Camellia, and Orange Blossom trees with showy blooms in various colors.

910 Radcliffe Street is on the tour. Credit: Submitted

House B *910 Radcliffe Street
The oldest known home in present-day Bristol was built in 1765 and remodeled in 1811. This original architecture Colonial includes a front door lockset built by the locksmith to King George, original office cupboards, and a large fireplace with an authentic forged cooking crane.

House C *824 Radcliffe Street ~Lafayette display
Frank Bell, prominent Bristol Quaker and former Treasurer of the City of Philadelphia, and his wife Helen purchased this home in 1889 and bequeathed it to their son Dudley Bell. Currently an apartment house, it is on the National Register of Historic Places. The porcelain plate Lafayette Legacy Collection, and the leather-bound First Bicentennial Edition of Lafayette in America book will be on display.

House D *715 Radcliffe Street
The Dorrance family owned the property on which this Greek Revival style home was built between 1857-1871. The present owner purchased the home from the Landreth family and added the veranda. It features a central cupola with triple, arched windows on each face.

House E *430 Radcliffe Street ~Raggedy Ann & Andy display
Until 1930, this residence constructed between 1890-1894, was the home of Dr. William Cooper LeCompte and his family. Then Carl deGanahl, president of Fleetwings Aircraft, rented the home until the mid-1940s. In 1946, Luigi Galzerano’s widow, Jennie, purchased the home for their funeral home business and three generations have continued to serve the community. Original red-haired Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, a variety of handmade dolls, furniture, and books will be displayed.

House F *339 Radcliffe Street
The 3-story Washington Hall, built in 1847, provided a meeting space for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, whose symbol remains on the front of the building. Bristol’s first newspaper, The Bucks County Gazette, started by Benjamin Franklin’s great-grandson William Bache, was published on the first floor. Currently a private residence, their art selections, as well as French antique furniture, collectibles, and a pre-war Steinway piano will be on view.

House G *230 Mulberry Street
This gradually restored home loaded with period details, built in the 1840s, was most likely a millworker’s home.

“Welcome Friend” to this historic riverfront town for a day of FAMILY FUN.
Everyone comes for the FOOD!…. and STAYS!
Historic Bristol on the Delaware is a treasure trove of family fun activities!