[1] The center of Bristol began to take shape in the 1760s with the arrival of the first non-Native settlers.

By the 1790s a small town center had emerged, including two tavern buildings that still stand.

How the square itself formed is uncertain, since there are no formal town documents discussing the matter.

Most of the municipal functions were located away from the square, which developed as a commercial business district.

The square's basic structures today are, with only few exceptions, what they were in the late 19th century.