Bridgewater, situated 25 miles south of Boston is a charming residential, suburban community. With its strategic position at the junction of Route 24 and Interstate 495, the town is accessible by highway and also by public bus and commuter rail lines. This friendly historic college town is home to Bridgewater State College.
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Bridgewater, situated 25 miles south of Boston is a charming residential, suburban community. With its strategic position at the junction of Route 24 and Interstate 495, the town is accessible by highway and also by public bus and commuter rail lines. This friendly historic college town is home to Bridgewater State College.
Founded in 1840, Bridgewater State College is one of the nation's oldest institutions of higher education dedicated to teacher preparation. The campus covers 235 acres in the middle of town and has an enrollment of nearly 9000 undergraduate and graduate students. Another major institution of Bridgewater is Bridgewater State Prison, one of the largest correctional institutions in Massachusetts.
Originally an agricultural center, the town of Bridgewater was incorporated in 1656. The early farming economy of raising livestock and growing crops was soon augmented by iron works at foundries that operated along the northern edge of town. This industry that began as far back as the 18th century supplied the armies of the American Revolution and Civil War. Later in the 19th century, local industries produced shoes, nails and bricks in factories that employed hundreds of former agricultural workers and immigrants.
Bridgewater's historic heritage is seen most notably in the downtown central common area. There is a rich architectural variety of federal, Italianate and Greek revival commercial and public buildings around the town's central common. Landscaping on the common and throughout the downtown is attentively maintained by the Bridgewater Improvement Association, a non-profit organization devoted to the beautification of the community.
The downtown is truly the hub of the community and activities such as the autumn and Christmas holiday festivals are held there each year. Today Bridgewater is a growing community of approximately 25,000 residents who appreciate the small-town character of this town that is attractive to both newcomers and new businesses.
In February 2010, the average home sales price for a single family home or condo in Bridgewater, MA was $204,548. While this data is collected from the MLS and deemed reliable, it is not guaranteed.
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