Massachusetts Real Estate & Relocation Guide

Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Population: 25,185

Located in Plymouth County

Bridgewater is a charming residential, suburban community located approximately 25 miles south of Boston. Originally an agricultural community, the town became known for its cotton gins and its iron manufacturing. A moderate amount of industry, including the manufacture of shoes, nails, fiber board, steel fabrication and iron casting, remains.

The Town maintains a strong interest in education. Its recreational and cultural life is enhanced by the numerous programs and activities available at the Bridgewater State College, located in town. A number of civic and social organizations are currently active within the area. Bridgewater's proximity to routes 24 and 495 has, in part, contributed to its recent growth. Nonetheless, a caring, friendly, small-town community atmosphere prevails among its residents.

Chartered in 1656, the town of Bridgewater historically flourished as an industrial and agricultural center within Southeastern Massachusetts. The raising of livestock and crop cultivation on farms comprising several hundred acres were common in the outlying areas of the community. As early as the 18th century, foundries were operating along the northern periphery of the downtown where iron forging for the Revolutionary and Civil Wars were produced. A century later, shoe, nail and brick manufacturing emerged in the area, employing hundreds of former agricultural workers from nearby farms or immigrants from distant lands.

The historic character of the community is largely preserved in the Federal, Italianate and Greek Revival commercial and civic structures surrounding the central common. Landscaping on the common and elsewhere in the downtown is meticulously maintained by the Bridgewater Improvement Association, a nonprofit organization devoted to the beautification of the community. The downtown area remains a vital center of community life where such activities as Autumn and Christmas holiday festivals are conducted each year.

Bridgewater today is a growing community of over 20,000. Its central location at the interchange of Route 24 and Interstate 495 provides convenient access to Boston, Providence and Cape Cod. The town also carries the distinction of hosting the oldest and largest state college in Massachusetts, Bridgewater State College.

This rich history and diversity of activities has made Bridgewater an attractive place to residents and business alike.