Welcome to Riverport Plaza @ Market

Welcome to Riverport Plaza @ Market. Market Street Heritage Trail. , Historic Bristol Borough has a rich maritime history that dates back to the former port at Market Street depicted here by artist Jared Bader. Bristolians started their seagoing legacy in 1727 with the launch of the 25-ton sloop Expedition. Over time, more ships were built, some as large as 100 tons. After the American Revolution, Bristol became the sole seaport in Bucks County, connecting the rural area with ocean vessels and bringing prosperity to the town. In 1790, John Fitch, the inventor of the steamboat, showcased his creation on the Delaware River in Bristol, drawing a large crowd. From 1841 to 1900, Bristol shipyards launched 21 schooners that sailed trade routes in the Atlantic., Between 1832 and 1931, Bristol served as an export terminal for steamboats carrying coal from Lehigh County down the Delaware Canal on barges. During World War I, the town's shipbuilding yards were busy, with the North Bristol Shipbuilding Plant launching dozens of 400-foot freighters, each weighing 8,000 tons, on its 12 concrete ship-ways along a half-mile stretch of the Delaware River. Though Bristol is no longer a working seaport, the borough continues to celebrate its river access and maritime past. The arrival of occasional tall ships for ceremonial visits to Bristol and the river front passage of giant, seagoing freighters bound for ports further upriver remind us of how it all began in Bristol three centuries ago as depicted in this magnificent mural., Narrative provided by local historian and journalist, Carl LaVo, [Illustration captions, left to right, read] , . An 1891 Map depicting Mill and Market Streets includes a "Steamboat Landing" at the bottom of Market Street, while the Delaware and Lehigh Canal runs perpendicular and marks the top of Market Street. Canal Lock #2 was located nearby to where Market Street meets the canal. In the 1700s, a shipyard was located at the base of Wood Street, behind Mill Street., . The "William E. Doron” ferry boat in its berth at Bristol Borough between Mill and Market Streets, below Radcliffe Street. The ferry connected Bristol, PA and Burlington, NJ until 1930., . The Delaware and Lehigh Canal, including the locks located in the vicinity of Market Street, To learn more about Bristol Borough's unique history and vibrant culture, visit us online at www.visitbristolborough.com