Carolyn Ashby and Nancy Luke, at the Art on Main Gallery in Bristol, have been urging me for some time to take photographs of Bristol for use on my greeting cards. I decided to research and explore the town just as I would as a traveler on vacation, and create this journal. Where better to post it than here in the "Travel" category? The original intent has not been forgotten - all of these photographs have been test printed for use as greeting cards.
This journal is a work-in-progress, so please expect changes, additions and deletions. If you have comments, suggestions (or complaints!) please Email me.
Bristol is approximately 27 miles south of Burlington and 12 miles north of Middlebury. North/south route 116 passes through town, briefly becoming Main Street, and is joined by west/east route 17, which merges south of the village from the west and diverges north of the village toward the east. This welcome sign is on routes 116 and 17 north of the village. Chartered in 1762 as Pocock, the name of the town was changed to Bristol in 1789. (#10739)
Bristol village nestles in a gap between Deerleap Mountain to the north and South Mountain in Bristol Cliffs Wilderness Area to the south. Bristol gap is seen in this photo looking east from the high point of route 17 between Addison and Bristol, near the New Haven Fire Department building. The ridge of the Green Mountains is in the background, with Mount Abraham on the right. (#10922)
Another point-of-view of Bristol Gap, taken on a different day. This was taken south of route 17 on East Street in New Haven. (#10576)
Bristol village, with Main Street in the lower left, seen from the cliffs on the west side of Deerleap Mountain. In the background are the Champlain Valley, Snake Mountain, Lake Champlain under early morning fog, and the distant Adirondack Mountains. (#10770)
Main Street, seen here from Holley Hall clock tower with Deerleap Mountain in the background, is one block long. Routes 116 and 17 change name from West Street at one end of the block, to Main Street, and to East Street at the other end. (#10591)
Holley Hall, with its distinctive clock tower visible from most directions, is on the southwest corner of the junction of Main, North, South and West Streets. Holley Hall was built in 1884 on land given to the town by Cornelia Smith, and named by her after her father, Winter Holley, a descendant of Robert Holley who arrived in Bristol in 1795. As well as being at the physical center of the village, this historic building is the Town Hall and thus also a center of Bristol politics and social life. (#10619)
A close look (with a telephoto lens) at one of Bristols most prominent features. (#10705)
The North side of Main Street as seen from Art on Main Gallery. Unlike most Vermont town centers at the time this photograph was taken during the economic downturn in 2009, vacant storefronts were seldom seen. (#10684)
A telephoto lens on Dearleap Mountain yields a behind-the-facades view of Main Street. (#10756)
Deerleap Mountain looms over the Bristol Branch of the National Bank of Middlebury, on Main Street. The Deerleap Vista cliffs can be seen near the left side. (Left-click on the photograph to view a larger version.) (#10604)
All photographs in these galleries are © Cal Williams. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.
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