Welcome

Greetings and welcome to the official web site of the Bristol Historical Association. We are delighted you are visiting and hope you will find our web site interesting and informative.

Preserving the heritage of an area is the responsibility of its citizenry. As individuals and family members, we delight in discovering and claiming our personal histories. The same should be true of a community... particularly, when the community is as culturally and historically rich as Bristol, Virginia / Tennessee. We, as fellow Bristolians, regardless of our own lineages, are responsible for safeguarding and forwarding knowledge of our history to future generations.

The task of preserving and promoting our regional heritage is daunting. As individuals, it is not possible. The task is possible, however, if dedicated individuals band together and commit to preserving our past. The Bristol Historical Association is such a group of caring individuals and the organization invites YOU to become a member.

Few organizations offer members the opportunity to invest in the future like this one does. Officially chartered in April 1979, the organization is dedicated to the identification, preservation, interpretation, and presentation of local history for the benefit of the community at large.

Current Projects include, but are not limited to:

• Restoration, establishment, and accreditation of the E.W. King House as a regional museum
• Procurement of a permanent site, movement and restoration of the Robert Preston House
• Continued restoration and maintenance of the birthplace home of Tennessee Ernie Ford
• Recognition of historically significant buildings through placement of BHA markers / plaques
• Collection, preservation, and exhibition of memorabilia
• Continued promotion / celebration of area sites and interest

Members of the Bristol Historical Association enjoy a variety of service and fellowship opportunities, receive quarterly newsletters, and, most importantly, take pride in the part they play in preserving and promoting the history of our area. Please consider lending your support to this worthwhile endeavor by becoming a member of our Association.

Thank You.
Mary Beth Rainero, President.

Our History

History is told through the buildings and homes in a city. The intention of the Bristol Historical Association is to promote an interest in the history of Bristol by designating properties with historical significance.

In 1988 the Bristol Preservation Society launched a program to mark structures and sites throughout Bristol which would date back seventy-five years or more. Historian, V .N. (Bud) Phillips initiated a search for sites which would qualify for designation and receive a plaque. Markers were placed on four sites at that time: Troutdale Restaurant at 412 Sixth Street, the Billy Wood house on the corner of Locust and Sixth Street, East Hill Cemetery, and the Tennessee Ernie Ford House on Anderson Street.

In 1999 the Bristol Preservation Society and the Bristol Historical Association merged. The combined organization has continued the marking program with renewed interest. A generous contribution from Mr. William W. (Bud) Walling has enabled the program to move forward. Mr. Walling has financed the cost of the first twenty-five plaques. Much credit is due to Bud for his vital part in the promotion of the Landmark Designation program.