Greetings from the President
As you can see by the following reports (links provided below), the Bristol Historical Association has had a busy and productive year. Your committees have been extremely active in making certain that the Bristols' histories and important historic sites stay in the public's mind(s) and receive the recognition they deserve. In looking at the profit/loss figures for the year, you will note that we have operated in the black which is an extremely important achievement. Obviously, there is very little in the way of new or expanded projects BHA can do without further funds. We have done so much to cut expenses and
increase income; much depends on you, our membership, to add contributions to your membership fees and to help us recruit new members. Abingdon has 500 members in its Historic Society. Abingdon is much smaller than Bristol. Surely we can do better. Tell
your friends and neighbors about us and the history we are trying to preserve. Take advantage of the wonderful power point presentation put together by Archives and Membership for showing to civic groups, both large and small.
Happy Holidays and may the new year be kind to you.
Isabelle
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BHA Annual Committee Reports:
CLICK HERE and HERE
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BHA Purchases The Robert Preston House 
Jim Bowie , Jan Rainero, Bill McRee, and Don Moneyhun The Bristol Historical Association has completed the purchase of the historic Robert Preston House at Walnut Grove and the one acre it occupies. This transaction concludes a decade of efforts to preserve this historic property. Please read the detailed report available through the above link "BHA Annual Committee Reports" to learn the complete story of the Robert Preston House Project. The future for this project is exciting, and interested persons are invited to join the board that will be overseeing the Preston House restoration. For more information or to volunteer, contact Chair Jan Rainero.  Thanks BVU for your support! |
BHA's Christmas Luncheon was held at the Virginian Golf Club
on December 4th. A delicious luncheon was enjoyed by all followed by an informative and entertaining program about the history of Abingdon by Carl Mallory.
    
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E. W. King House Items Recovered
As many of you know , the E.W. King House was broken into sometime before Thanksgiving. A number of original architectural elements were stolen along with several items of furniture belonging to the BHA Collection which were being stored inside the house. E.W. King House Chair Nedra Hartley and President Isabelle Ladd have worked closely with Lt. Debbie Richmond of the Bristol TN Police Department in the investigation of this incident, and thanks to their combined efforts and the invaluable assistance of downtown merchants, the media, and local businesses many of the stolen items have been recovered including the magnificent lion's head mantle shown below.
Surveillance footage from a State Street antique shop security camera was obtained showing the four men who went from store to store trying to sell the stolen articles. Still photos of the men were printed in the Bristol Herald Courier and also aired on local news channels. Police are still searching for the men who are believed to be driving an older model GMC Jimmy and pulling a trailer or a blue Chevy S-10 with primer spots. If anyone has information which could help find or identify these individuals, they are urged to call the Bristol TN Police Department and ask for Lt. Richmond.
BHA would like to extend sincere thanks to Lt. Richmond, the Bristol TN Police Department, WCYB, WEMT, WJHL, the Bristol Herald Courier, and Bristol's downtown merchants for their assistance in helping locate and recover the stolen items.
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FREE BHA PROGRAM NOW AVAILABLE
FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION!
Do you need a program for your club or organization? BHA now has a wonderful power point picture presentation available FREE of charge for just such occasions! Archivist Roy Williams has created a flash drive collection called "Snapshots of Bristol History" featuring Bristol images taken from the late 1800's to the early 1900's. The visuals are accompanied by a fascinating and entertaining script written by Carolyn Williams. Roy has purchased the screen and projector for the presentation, and we are ready and willing to present the program upon request. For information and scheduling, please call Roxann Coulthard 276-466-5357.
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