Bristol, Pennsylvania
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Bristol is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 23 miles (37 km) northeast of Philadelphia opposite Burlington, N.J. on the Delaware River. Bristol was first incorporated in 1720. Although its charter was revised in 1905, the original charter remains in effect, making Bristol one of the older boroughs in Pennsylvania. 7,104 people lived in Bristol in 1900; 9,256 in 1910; 10,273 in 1920; and 11,895 in 1940. The population was 9,923 at the 2000 census. The current Mayor is Joseph Saxton. The first woman Mayor was Margaret Stakenas elected in 1979.
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[edit] History
First settled as Buckingham (for Buckingham, England) in 1681, the borough of Bristol, Pennsylvania is one of the oldest settlements in the United States, and is about 15-30 minutes north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was originally used as a port and dock. Bristol is rich in history, boasting many historic and restored houses that line the streets of Radcliffe and Mill.
Attractions include: Bristol Riverside Theatre, Margaret R. Grundy Library & Museum, and The King George Inn, the oldest continuously run inn in the United States. The summer months are filled with many festivals and numerous free concerts, including Celtic Day, African-American Day, Italian Day, and Puerto Rican Day, all held at the Bristol Lions Park and Wharf along the Delaware River. Silver Lake Park and Nature Center provides an area of recreation.
[edit] Geography
Bristol is located at (40.103382, -74.851448)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 4.8 km² (1.9 mi²). 4.3 km² (1.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (10.81%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 9,923 people, 4,004 households, and 2,442 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,322.0/km² (6,016.5/mi²). There were 4,207 housing units at an average density of 984.4/km² (2,550.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 73.46% White, 10.79% African American, 0.15% Native American, 1.34% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.50% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.53% of the population.
There were 4,004 households out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the borough the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $35,378, and the median income for a family was $44,517. Males had a median income of $35,090 versus $27,836 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $17,198. About 8.2% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.7% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
The Bristol Borough School District is comprised of two public schools: Warren Snyder-John Girotti Elementary School (K-6) and Bristol Jr. Sr. High School (7-12). Other schooling opportunities in Bristol are offered through the Roman Catholic parish schools of both St. Ann Church (K-8) and St. Mark Church (K-8), both located in the borough. Conwell-Egan Roman Catholic School in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania provides private/parochial schooling for children in grades 9-12.
[edit] Notable people from Bristol
- Poul Anderson, Science Fiction writer.
- Daniel W. Bursch, Astronaut.
- Tony DiStefano, Motocross national champion.
- Ileen Getz (August 7, 1961 - August 4, 2005), Actress.
- Joseph R. Grundy (January 13, 1863 – March 3, 1961), Textile manufacturer and politician.
- Lauren Holly, Actress.
- Jeff Manto, Professional baseball player.
- Joe McEwing, Professional baseball player.
- Joseph McIlvaine (October 2, 1769 - August 19, 1826), United States Senator.
- William Rodman (October 7, 1757 – July 27, 1824), United States Congressman
- Todd Weiner, Professional football player.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Living Places: Bristol Borough, Pennsylvania
- Bucks County dot Net: Bristol Borough, PA
- Bucks Views: Bristol Borough, PA
- Bristol Cultural and Historical Foundation, Inc
