Marble gates were erected at the entrance of the estate in August, 1913. The gates were made of Georgian marble and were situated on the site of an old school house. They carried the inscription, "Private Property, Samuel P. Colt, Open to the Public". On September 26, 1913, the final addition to the gateway was unveiled in an official opening ceremony for the driveway. When the massive American flag was removed, the public caught sight of two large bronze bulls, each over six feet high and weighing over a ton. They were cast by Val D'Onse and Co. of Paris, from models made by Isadore Bonheur, at a total cost of $7,000. The gate was an adaptation of the sentry boxes guarding the approach to the Petit Trianon at Versailles and cost $30,000 to erect.

The town enjoyed the drive for six years without incident until a dispute over twenty-six acres of town property deeded to the Colonel caused a major dispute. In 1919, two gentlemen, insisting that the letter of the law be carried out, challenged Colt's right to the land north of Asylum Lane and proposed that Colt return the land to the town and be reimbursed his purchase price. Colt wrote a counter-proposal in a letter conveying an understandably irked attitude. He proposed that if one hundred voters signed a petition saying that his method of acquiring the twenty-six acres was unjust, then not only would he give back the land (less cost and improvements), but he would also sell the entire estate to Bristol for half the cost of its purchase and development.

In a town meeting shortly thereafter, former Governor Bourne proposed a resolution to decline the offer, with thanks and by public vote, ratify Colt's clear claim to the land. The resolution was passed, with two votes opposed.