Bristol Historical & Preservation Society Will Display the Oldest Known Flag in the Country in Honor of the RI250
Open House Display: The Byfield Flag, America’s Oldest Flag, in Bristol, RI
Date: Thursday-Sunday, June 11-14, please see BHPSRI.org for specific hours (also listed below)
Location: BH&PS HQ, 48 Court St., Bristol, RI 02809
Sponsored By: The Bristol Historical & Preservation Society, The Bristol Town Council, and The Bristol 250 Commission.
Free and open to the public!
At the end of his life, Bristol Town Founder Nathanial Byfield donated his Colonel’s flag to the Town, where it was paraded at the head of the town’s 4th of July parade for almost forty years. The flag’s survival is a small miracle. In the 1880s, the flag was packed away in a closet of the Burnside Building, not to be seen again until 2019, when it was rediscovered and taken to the Varnum Armory for conservation. Due to its extremely delicate condition, it remains housed at the Varnum, where it can be properly stored in appropriate archival housing.
In honor of the RI250 and thanks to a new protective cover sponsored by the Town of Bristol, the flag will be paying Bristol a visit. The BH&PS will host this important artifact and will be open extra hours to show off this fantastic piece of history.
The Open House schedule is:
Thursday, June 11, 1-6pm
Friday, June 12, 1-6pm
Saturday, June 13, 10am-2pm
Sunday, June 14, 3-5pm
“We hope everyone will stop by to see this remarkable piece of Bristol’s past,” said BH&PS Director Catherine W. Zipf. “This flag is an important part of Bristol’s history and the story of its survival is equally remarkable. We are thrilled to welcome the flag back to Bristol and to offer Bristol residents the opportunity to see it up close and in person.”
About the Flag:
In 2019, the Byfield flag was found bundled with several others in a massive flag case in the Burnside Building on Hope Street in Bristol. The second floor of the building once served as a repository of the Town’s historical artifacts, and at some point, a massive floor-to-ceiling case was built to house the flags that were used every year for events such as Memorial Day and July 4 observances. The flags were probably there from the time the Burnside building was built in 1883.
In the 1930s, Alice Bateman Almy and a few other residents formed a group to fix up Burnside’s exhibits. The Bristol Historical & Preservation Society was formed out of this group, with Ms. Almy as its first curator. The BH&PS was permitted to have the contents of the collections stored in the Burnside Building, but the flag case was too large to move and the flags were left behind.
The flags were last known to be moved during the administration of Joe Parella (1994-2004), who had the case refurbished and who wrapped the flags in plastic and replaced them in the case. In 2019, Town Clerk Lou Cirillo received a call from someone who wanted to see the memorial on the second floor of the Burnside Building. He asked about the contents of the flag case, and when Mr. Cirillo told him what he thought was in there, the man said he knew someone who might be interested.
The Flag Moves to the Varnum Armory:
After being put in touch with Mr. Cirillo, Patrick Donovan, the director of the Varnum Armory, and Maria Vazquez, an expert textile conservator, came to Bristol and evaluated all the flags. Because several of the flags were in very poor condition, their silk fabric very brittle, Mr. Donovan proposed bringing the flags to the the Varnum Armory, which would pay for their conservation, with close cooperation and oversight from Bristol and with the conservation work to be performed by Ms. Vazquez’ company, Royal Conservation Inc.
Given the large investment of time and money, Mr. Donovan asked the Town of Bristol to allow any of the conserved flags to be put on a long-term display at the Varnum Armory Museum, which houses the world’s largest collection of Rhode Island military history. The Town of Bristol would retain ownership, and the Varnum Armory would allow the Town of Bristol to borrow and display the flags for special events. The RI250 will be the first of such events.
The Byfield Flag is Conserved:
Once at the Varnum Armory, the historic importance of the flags became immediately evident. Donovan and Vazquez knew the Byfield Flag was particularly special because it still had the original finial, engraved with the date 1687. Nathaniel Byfield was a wealthy and influential founder of Bristol and a judge and colonel in the Bristol County militia. Research uncovered a period reference to him buying a “stand of colors” (flags) for his company. The flag that emerged from the Bristol case was silk, with golden fringe, but plain. Blood stains were found on the flag, and it is believed that the flag was used in King William’s War and Queen Ann’s War, small but violent wars fought between Britain and France but with the engagement of colonists and Indigenous fighters.
At present, the flag’s condition is stable and it is able to travel to Bristol due to a special protective cover provided by the Town of Bristol.
Event Details:
This Open House will be held at the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society’s HQ at 48 Court St., in Bristol RI between June 11 and June 14 (see BHPSRI.org for specific times). Ample parking is available in the parking lot across the street from the BH&PS. Please call ahead to 253-7223 for accommodations. The event is free and open to the public, no registration is required.
For more information, visit the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society at BHPSri.org, email info@BHPSri.org or call 401-253-7223.
The Bristol Historical & Preservation Society seeks to stimulate interest in the history of Bristol, Rhode Island, through education, research, and the collection and preservation of historic objects. Bristol has a rich and vibrant history and one of our goals is to explore this history in as many ways as possible. Keep an eye on our website for even more events to come!
As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, this moment invites Rhode Islanders and visitors alike to explore the diverse stories, bold acts, and shared dreams that shaped the birth of our nation. The Bristol250 Commission looks to reflect on our nation’s journey, recognize the contributions of Americans across generations, and envision the future we’ll build together. History comes alive here, come be part of it!