Bristol Harbor Bombardment Site (1775)
RI - Bristol, Rhode Island, USA
The War of Independence memorial, 460 Thames Street, Bristol, RI 02809, USA
MONUMENT
VISITOR INFORMATION
Distinguish the 1775 naval bombardment from Bristol's later wartime burning. Confirm surviving affected buildings and shore positions before assigning a pin. Map point reviewed October 3, 2026: The pin represents Bristol's War of Independence memorial on Thames Street. Its bombardment panel describes the October 7, 1775 attack; the pin is the memorial, not an offshore vessel or battery position. Visitor information reviewed October 3, 2026: The retained point is a waterfront memorial reference. The society’s bombardment walking tour begins at 48 Court Street and operates on scheduled dates; confirm registration and timing. Public toilets at the memorial remain unverified. Museum facilities are not attributed to this point. Parking researched October 3, 2026: Nearby signed two-hour public spaces on Thames Street serve the retained War of Independence waterfront memorial. Confirm current signs and availability; overnight/resident rules differ, and dock sticker spaces are excluded.
Visitor information continued October 3, 2026: Current society information supplies walking-tour prices and a scheduled bombardment walk. Confirm the October 24 start time because its repeated headings conflict with the 10 am event description. Tour-office facilities remain separate from the memorial.
Visitor amenities reviewed October 3, 2026: No confirmed information was found for public restrooms. The NO entries reflect unverified provision, rather than confirmed absence. Check locally before relying on facilities.
The waterfront memorial is an outdoor reference. Bristol Historical & Preservation Society lists most walking tours at $15 for nonmembers and $10 for members, with tickets usually purchased at the start. Its current bombardment tour listing gives Saturday October 24, starting at 10 am at 48 Court Street; repeated headings on the page also show 9:30 am, so confirm the start time directly at 401-253-7223. Private downtown tours can be arranged. Tour fees and schedules apply to the society’s walk, not admission to the waterfront memorial.
Peak visitation season unconfirmed. No reliable site-specific monthly attendance pattern was established.
May-June or September for Bristol waterfront interpretation in generally comfortable weather. Use a permitted public viewpoint and confirm any booked historical-society walk independently from the harbour memorial.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
TICKET INFORMATION
HISTORIC SITES NEARBY
Nearby Historic Sites
miles
Landmark
WHO WAS HERE
0
PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE
About Bristol Harbor Bombardment Site (1775)
British warships bombarded Bristol, Rhode Island, on October 7, 1775 after the town resisted demands from Captain James Wallace. The attack exposed a coastal community to the war’s early naval pressure. A waterfront memorial and local historical interpretation connect the modern harbor with the experience of its residents.
Bristol's later War of Independence memorial on Thames Street interprets the bombardment in its waterfront setting. Its panel commemorates the attack rather than identifying an original battery or the precise position of the British vessels.
History happened here at Bristol Harbor Bombardment Site (1775)
Wallace’s squadron sailed from Newport into Bristol on the afternoon of October 7, 1775. Town leaders were asked to meet him over British demands but refused. The ships then fired cannonballs and shells for roughly an hour and a half, bringing military coercion directly into the civilian settlement.
Negotiations over provisions followed the bombardment, as local historical interpretation recounts. The event belongs to a broader pattern of pressure on New England ports during the Revolution’s opening year. Walking-tour history and the waterfront memorial preserve Bristol’s experience, while specific damage locations and vessel positions require closer examination of contemporary records.
PEOPLE WHO DIED HERE
PEOPLE AT REST HERE
EXTERNAL LINKS
Research reviewed October 3, 2026. Event IDs 48d76c95-896d-4109-8fe2-b75e6de8c118; Events Latest 10PM.csv rows 175.
https://bhpsri.org/walking-tours
Map location reviewed October 3, 2026. The pin represents Bristol's War of Independence memorial on Thames Street. Its bombardment panel describes the October 7, 1775 attack; the pin is the memorial, not an offshore vessel or battery position.
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=222856
Visitor classification and amenities reviewed October 3, 2026. Destination: Bristol waterfront War of Independence Honor Roll memorial at Thames and Franklin streets.
https://www.hmdb.org/results.asp?Search=Place&State=Rhode+Island&Town=Bristol
Prose batch 3 researched October 3, 2026. Fast pass; proofing pending. Local society account refreshed. Proof provision terms and damage details before adding figures; waterfront memorial is a commemorative point.
Visitor admission and access fields reviewed October 3, 2026. Destination: Bristol waterfront War of Independence Honor Roll memorial at Thames and Franklin streets.
Parking researched October 3, 2026. Bristol’s adopted harbour plan identifies free two-hour public parking along Thames Street from Constitution Street to Ever Ready Fire Station. Nearby signed two-hour public spaces on Thames Street serve the Gaspee landing memorial. Confirm current signs and availability; overnight/resident rules differ, and dock sticker spaces are excluded.