SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2026: 10 AM
DRESSING FOR A REVOLUTIONARY ROMANCE
@
Bristol Historical & Preservation Society
48 Court Street, Bristol, RI
Sunday, March 8, 2026: 10 AM
Watch a revolutionary war outfit come together as Maria Vazquez, Textile Conservator, "gets dressed" in a Revolutionary-era travelling outfit, starting with the stays and underpinnings and progressing to the outer pieces, even including the hat and parasol staff. As she dresses, Maria will talk about the many layers that made-up clothing from this era and how the articles of clothing worked together to protect the body.
$$
Open to the public but space is very limited. Tickets cost $25 -- or $20 for BH&PS members.
Dressing for a Revolutionary Romance is a follow-up to The Bristol Romance Con: Ballrooms and Beyond 2026, a historical-romance book convention happening at Linden Place on Saturday, March 7, 2026. Join us the day after the convention at the BHPS for an in-person look at the clothing that some of these dashing heroines wore!
tuesday, MARCH 17, 2026: 6 PM
THE HISTORY OF THE HOPEWORTH SANITARIUM
@
The Rogers Free Library, 525 Hope Street, Bristol, RI
Tuesday, March 17, 2026: 6 PM
Join local historian Eleanor Dobson as she takes us back in time to the history of the Hopeworth Sanitarium, the namesake of the neighborhood Bristol knows today. This neighborhood is located just north of Mount Hope, mere minutes from downtown Bristol. It boasts beautiful views of Mount Hope Bay and a tranquil atmosphere. These same qualities inspired Dr. Herman Canfield to establish the sanatorium on these grounds in the 1880s.
Meet Dr. Canfield and his family, explore the concept of a sanitarium (as opposed to an asylum), and examine turn of the century medical practices. Hopeworth promised the best modern medical technology of the time, recreational facilities, and, perhaps most important of all, the utmost discretion.
Eleanor Dobson is a historian, fiber artist, and researcher who is currently working as a consultant on a range of historical projects spanning RI and Massachusetts. Eleanor has spent most of her life volunteering and working in living history groups and historic museums. In the past she has worked at Coggeshall Farm Museum, the Old Slater Mill Association, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center, and Mystic Seaport.
This event is the second in our series, The Pozzi Center Presents: A 2026 Bristol Building Lecture Series.
Free and Open to the Public.