Linden Place was built in 1810 by George DeWolf. When the sea was America’s highway, the DeWolf family ruled along with the Browns of Providence, and as with the Brown family, the DeWolfs made their money in trading slaves.
George’s family and descendants occupied the house for 177 years until the Friends of Linden Place, a non-profit group, assumed ownership in 1988. Perhaps the most famous occupant was Colonel Samuel Pomeroy Colt, George’s grandson.
He started Industrial Trust Bank which later became Fleet and he formed U.S. Rubber which became today’s Uniroyal Tires. This house is considered the “architectural crown jewel” of Bristol and it is important to the social history of the town as well.
Yankee Magazine, in a recent feature article, described a visit this way: “More than a house tour, it’s the history of our country, dark corners and all.” Welcome, and thank you for visiting us.
Our audio tour, completed in 2022 and updated in 2023, provides an in-depth history of the mansion and its fascinating occupants. In addition, visit our About Us/News page to learn about the enslaved and free black people connected with Bristol and our community. We have also added information through regular installments of our "Stories Series." The stories, and current information about our events, projects, and initiatives, are also available by subscribing to our E-Newsletter.
Story #1 tells the fascinating tale of Charlotte Middleton De Wolf and her discovery of a new species of crabapple tree.
Story #2 is an observation of the life of Samuel Pomeroy Colt on the 100th year anniversary of his passing in 1921.
Story #3 takes place around 1915 and tells the story of hydroplanes and the aerodrome at Samuel Colt's farm in Bristol
Story #4 tells the story of William Henry DeWolf and his appointment as Consul to Scotland by President Franklin Pierce
Story #5 follows the path of the four and a half ton marble bust of Abraham Lincoln commissioner by Samuel Pomeroy Colt and sculpted by Gutzon Borglum, of Mount Rushmore fame
Story #6 honors some of the women of Linden Place with bouquets curated by the Victorian art of floriology
Story #7 is the amazing account of how a tragic automobile accident in 1916 led to the Town of Bristol's first ambulance service.
Story #8 tells the story of a ten hour 450 mile drive c.1900 to Samuel Pomeroy Colt's camp on Kidney Pond in Maine for fishing and "glamping" - complete with a private bowling alley and chandelier.
Story #9 investigates the evolution of the myth of the Daniel Tanner barber shop at Linden Place.
Story #10 covers the growth and expansion of the United States Rubber Company up to WWII, and its part in the historic Leonard Bernstein conducting debut at Carnegie Hall in 1943.