After a century of service, first as a school building and later as administrative offices for the Bristol Warren Regional School District (BWRSD), the Town has sold the Oliver School building at 151 State Street.

The Town’s sale of Oliver will bring in much needed funds to offset the costs of maintaining the schools that are sited on the Common, which are prohibited from being sold due to existing deed restrictions, as well as the Reynolds school, which has been repurposed as Town and BWRSD office space.

Though the property had a total assessed value of more than $1 million, its final sale price of $500,000 reflected the significant investment that will need to be made to the interior of the structure, which is zoned residential. According to Town Administrator Steven Contente, the purchaser, 151 State St. LLC and Louis A. Cabral, currently a resident of Tiverton, intends to renovate the property to serve as residences. As it is, it could be divided into two units, but a variance could allow for more than that.

Reached for comment, Cabral says he is still trying to figure out his plan for the property and is not ready to comment on specifics, but he is looking forward to the opportunity to help preserve a piece of Bristol’s history. “I’m pretty excited,” he said. “It’s going to be a special building.”

As it has with other recently-divested properties, the Town published a minimum bid and a Request for Proposals (RFP), then publicized its availability on online marketing platforms before accepting sealed bids. The first accepted bidder backed out once they became aware of the scope of needed renovations.

Notably, the property conveyed with a historic preservation easement that will require future owners to maintain the historic exterior of the building.
The Oliver School was dedicated Sept. 4, 1901, just 18 months after the town ordered its construction by architects William R. Walker & Son and contractors J.C. Walsh & Company.

“Citizens of Bristol, the erecting of this building; the key of which I have just received, places you in possession of a triumvirate of the finest school buildings of any town in the State, buildings of which you may be justly proud,” said Edward S. Babbitt, who served as chairman of the committee that organized the dedication.

While the Oliver School served the community well for a century, its sale reflects both the changing needs of education and the Town’s recent effort to streamline its real estate holdings.

“The Oliver School is costly to maintain in its current state, and it doesn’t make sense to hold on to it,” said Contente when the Town first determined they would be offering the building for sale. “Hopefully it will make some people very happy as a nice residence.”