Bristol (Bristow) Gravesite

The Bristol (Bristow) Gravesite in Connecticut is an important landmark along the state’s Freedom Trail. It marks the resting place of Bristol, also known as Bristow, an African American man who was enslaved by Thomas Hart Hooker. Records from the Connecticut Historical Society show that Bristow purchased his freedom for 60 pounds from Hooker in May 1775, just before Hooker left to defend Boston during the American Revolutionary War with the Connecticut Second Regiment. 

Following Bristol’s passing, he was laid to rest in West Hartford’s Old Center Cemetery, where he had arranged and paid for his own gravestone. The inscription on the gravestone reads, “In Memory of Bristol, a native of Africa, died March 8, 1814, Aged 83 years.

Thanks to the dedicated work of West Hartford resident Booker T. DeVaughn, the West Hartford African American Social and Cultural Organization took the initiative to create a replica headstone for Bristol’s burial site. As a result of these efforts, the site was officially recognized and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, marking it as a significant location on the Connecticut Freedom Trail. The marker at the Bristol (Bristow) Gravesite acknowledges Bristol’s life and the struggles faced by enslaved individuals in the region. Visiting the Bristol (Bristow) Gravesite offers an opportunity for reflection on the impact of slavery and the ongoing quest for freedom and equality in Connecticut and the United States.