Bristol History Room Hours
- Tuesday: 2:00 – 4:00pm
- Wednesday: 2:00 – 4:00pm & 6:00 – 7:45pm
- Thursday: 2:00 – 4:00 pm
This special collection devoted to local history includes:
- Books about Bristol
- Cemetery and church records
- City directories (1884 – 1991): containing sections for Bristol, Terryville, & Plainville.
- Diaries: such as Candice Robert’s diary & excerpts from Sylvia Lewis’ diary from the early 19th century
- Maps of Bristol: including Sanborn Insurance and topographical maps. An 1802 Survey of Bristol Turnpikes is the oldest original map in the collection.
- Newspapers:
- The Bristol Press newspaper is available on microfilm from 1871 – 2006. The subject index for this newspaper makes it easy to research a wide variety of topics. From 2006 on, the Bristol Press is available as a searchable online database.
- Copies of the Bristol Observer, a weekly newspaper, are accessible from December 2004 to the present. There are some missing issues of this newspaper.
- Oral histories
- Photographs & Postcards: view over 3000 photographs and several hundred postcards. Some of them are part of the Treasures of CT Libraries digital collection.
- Yearbooks
Explore the Collection Visit Our WW II Scrapbook
DVDs and Prints Available to Purchase
Specially selected prints from the Bristol History Room Collection are available for purchase. These 8″ X 10″ print formats are suitable for framing
- Individual prints: $10 each
- Set of 4 prints: $35
The DVD “Bristol Remembered” (a slideshow with Music) is also available for $9.95
View Print Samples
Print Samples
Main Street, 1960
Main Street, 1890
Old Post Office
Rockwell Park
Bristol Remembered, a DVD slideshow with music
Read the History of the Library.