Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Bridgewater

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
History · Bridgewater

Bridgewater dates to 1798, and 31% of its homes were built before 1940

Its Register listing is the William B. Dunlap Mansion. Its Register listing is the William B. Dunlap Mansion. Below: maps from 1901 on and the census since 1860.

1798founded
1on the National Register
31%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Bridgewater began

When was Bridgewater founded?

1798

Bridgewater dates its founding to 1798 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 822 in 18602020 census: 745228 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1879.The full story ↓

What stands out about Bridgewater’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Bridgewater are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19014 editions of the USGS map, 1901 to 1979. Watch Bridgewater change.Boom and bustPeaked at 1,792 in 1930; 745 people lived here in 2020.Deep rootsEstablished in 1798: 228 years of Bridgewater.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Bridgewater’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Bridgewater’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Bridgewater on the map, 1901 to 1979

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bridgewater. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Bridgewater on the 1901 USGS mapBridgewater on the 1953 USGS mapBridgewater on the 1969 USGS mapBridgewater on the 1979 USGS map1901Beaver sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bridgewater.

People over time

Bridgewater, census by census

05001,0001,5002,000190019502000Peak: 1,792

Peaked at 1,792 in 1930; 745 people lived here in 2020.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Bridgewater’s Wikipedia page.

The story

How Bridgewater came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Bridgewater.

Read it all →

The earliest permanent American settlers arrived in about 1798 or 1799 and founded the town of Sharon. In 1805 and 1806, U.S. vice president Aaron Burr constructed boat yards in Sharon and had several cargo boats built for his travel to the Louisiana Territory. Bridgewater was incorporated as a borough on April 2, 1835, and consolidated with Sharon in 1868.

Much of Bridgewater, including its two major streets, is included in the Bridgewater Historic District. A few scenes in the 1986 movie Gung Ho were shot in Bridgewater.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Bridgewater in 1888

Passages that mention Bridgewater, cut from the printed page as they were published.

The rush in Big Beaver swept away the Fallston bridge, which, lodging against the old wooden bridge at Bridgewater, carried it down. Both swept against the railroad bridge of the C. & P. line, and the three then crashed against the P. & L. E. R. P. bridge, tearing out a number of the iron spans.
History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania1888 · page 153Read the page →
Read the text

The rush in Big Beaver swept away the Fallston bridge, which, lodging against the old wooden bridge at Bridgewater, carried it down. Both swept against the railroad bridge of the C. & P. line, and the three then crashed against the P. & L. E. R. P. bridge, tearing out a number of the iron spans.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Bridgewater congregation had, prior to 1845, been connected with Beaver charge. In that year, however, it was set off as a station, with Rev. A. M. Brown in charge. The first quarterly conference was held in the church August 12, 1845, with Rev. R. Hoplvins, P. E., Rev. A.
History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania1888 · page 512Read the page →
Read the text

Bridgewater congregation had, prior to 1845, been connected with Beaver charge. In that year, however, it was set off as a station, with Rev. A. M. Brown in charge. The first quarterly conference was held in the church August 12, 1845, with Rev. R. Hoplvins, P. E., Rev. A.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Bridgewater, 1798 to 1961

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 18th century
  2. 1798
    FoundingBridgewater is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1839Born hereBenson Wood is born here
  5. 1879Post officeThe West Bridgewater post office opens
  6. 20th century
  7. 1901On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 1904Born hereErnie Meyer is born here
  9. 1930CensusPopulation peaks at 1,792
  10. 1961Post officeThe West Bridgewater post office closes
By decade

Bridgewater, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Bridgewater, Pennsylvania2012Bridgewater, PennsylvaniaBridgewater, Pennsylvania2012Bridgewater, PennsylvaniaThe Bridgewater Bridge crosses the Beaver River2009The Bridgewater Bridge crosses the Beaver RiverSt. John AME in2009St. John AME inBridgewater Fire Department2009Bridgewater Fire DepartmentBeaver County Times offices2009Beaver County Times offices
On the National Register

1 historic place in Bridgewater

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
1980
William B. Dunlap Mansion
William B. Dunlap Mansion
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival1
William B. Dunlap MansionGreek Revival

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Bridgewater

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Benson WoodAmerican politician · b. 1839
E
Ernie MeyerAmerican football player · b. 1904
Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Another post office, West Bridgewater, opened and closed inside today’s town.

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Brighton TownshipIts storyB−FallstonIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townBeaver2 historic placesA+RochesterIts storyA−Rochester Township1 historic placeAMonacaIts storyB+

Questions about Bridgewater’s history

What year was Bridgewater founded?

In 1798, according to Wikidata. Bridgewater’s post office opened in 1879, and the census of 1860 counted 822 people here.

What is on the National Register in Bridgewater?

One place: the William B. Dunlap Mansion (listed 1980).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.