National Register of Historic Places

Blithewold

Bristol, Bristol County, Rhode Island
Listed
June 26, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80000074

About this property

The Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum is an arboretum of 13 hectares (32 acres), located at 101 Ferry Road, Bristol, Rhode Island, midway between Newport and Providence, Rhode Island, on Bristol Harbor with views over Narragansett Bay. It includes a mansion, with a 4 hectares (9.9 acres) lawn and over 300 species of woody plants in its arboretum and gardens, including both native and exotic species. The Mansion and its grounds were established in the 1890s by Augustus and Bessie Van Wickle as their summer retreat. Augustus Van Wickle was from Hazleton, Pennsylvania, with a fortune in the coal-mining business and a donor of the Van Wickle Gates at Brown University.

Location

Bristol, Bristol County, Rhode Island
41.65448, -71.26763

Categories

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTUREARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Nearby Historic Sites

Bristol County Courthouse
Industrial
0.6 mi
Bristol Waterfront Historic District
Listed
0.7 mi
Bristol Ferry Lighthouse
Industrial
0.9 mi
Bristol Customshouse and Post Office
Early Republic
0.9 mi
Mount Hope Bridge
Industrial
1 mi

Nearby Battles

Bombardment of Bristol, Rhode Island (1775)
1775Revolutionary War
1.5 mi
Battle of Rhode Island Aug 29 1778
1778Revolutionary War
1.6 mi
Battle of Rhode Island – American Withdrawal
1778Revolutionary War
1.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Blithewold listed on the National Register?

Blithewold was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 26, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Blithewold?

Blithewold is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Blithewold?

The period of significance for Blithewold is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Blithewold?

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