Bridgewater Historic District (Bridgewater, Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia
The Bridgewater Historic District is a historic district
in Bridgewater
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on June 28, 1996, it includes buildings built between 1818 and 1933, although the most significant buildings in the district are those that were built before the Civil War
in the 1860s. Located at the confluence of the Ohio
and Beaver
Rivers, Bridgewater was a transportation center as the terminus of the Bridgewater Canal
during the pre-Civil War era. This prosperity is reflected in many of the district's buildings: the adjacent communities of Beaver
and Rochester
were less significant during that time, and accordingly have a much smaller number of period buildings.
The district includes the Bridgewater-Rochester Bridge, a canal lock for the Bridgewater Canal, and 97 buildings. Among its contributing properties
are three churches, the Keystone Bakery, and the William B. Dunlap Mansion
, which is separately listed on the Register. Because the bridge spans the Beaver River to Rochester, a small portion of the district is located in Rochester. Another building in the district is the house of Joseph Hemphill, a local landowner who platted much of Bridgewater in 1818. Built in 1818, it is Bridgewater's oldest extant house.
During Bridgewater's heyday, Bridge Street was a vibrant downtown street. Its buildings housed a wide variety of businesses, ranging from offices to stores to metalworking shops. Among the leading businesses of Bridge Street, the Keystone Bakery, was once the largest bakery in Western Pennsylvania outside of Pittsburgh and Allegheny
. Now located on Market Street, Keystone left Bridge Street in 1884 because of its rapid expansion.
The Bridgewater United Methodist Church
was organized in 1839 and built its first building in the same year. Its current building, a Gothic Revival
structure located on Market Street, was erected in 1907. First Presbyterian Church
worships in a Romanesque Revival
church at the western end of Bridge Street. The congregation was founded as the result of an 1845 split in the Presbyterian church in Rochester. Built in 1845 and remodelled several times since, the church remains in use to the present day.
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
in Bridgewater
Bridgewater, Pennsylvania
Bridgewater is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 739 at the 2000 census. It is best known as the home of the Bruster's Ice Cream chain. A few scenes in the 1986 movie Gung Ho were also shot in Bridgewater...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on June 28, 1996, it includes buildings built between 1818 and 1933, although the most significant buildings in the district are those that were built before the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in the 1860s. Located at the confluence of the Ohio
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
and Beaver
Beaver River (Pennsylvania)
The Beaver River is a tributary of the Ohio River in Western Pennsylvania in the United States with a length of approximately 21 mi . It flows through a historically important coal-producing region north of Pittsburgh...
Rivers, Bridgewater was a transportation center as the terminus of the Bridgewater Canal
Beaver and Erie Canal
The Beaver and Erie Canal, also known as the Erie Extension Canal, was part of the Pennsylvania Canal system and consisted of three sections: the Beaver Division, the Shenango Division, and the Conneaut Division...
during the pre-Civil War era. This prosperity is reflected in many of the district's buildings: the adjacent communities of Beaver
Beaver, Pennsylvania
Beaver is a borough in and the county seat of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, at the confluence of the Beaver and Ohio Rivers. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 4,775, having dropped from 5,641 in 1940....
and Rochester
Rochester, Pennsylvania
Rochester is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located northwest of Pittsburgh, it is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 4,014 at the 2000 census....
were less significant during that time, and accordingly have a much smaller number of period buildings.
The district includes the Bridgewater-Rochester Bridge, a canal lock for the Bridgewater Canal, and 97 buildings. Among its contributing properties
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
are three churches, the Keystone Bakery, and the William B. Dunlap Mansion
William B. Dunlap Mansion
The William B. Dunlap Mansion is a historic house in Bridgewater, Pennsylvania, United States. Erected in 1840 on a bluff over the Beaver River in the northern part of the borough, it has been ranked as the grandest and best-preserved 19th-century house in Bridgewater.The mansion was built for...
, which is separately listed on the Register. Because the bridge spans the Beaver River to Rochester, a small portion of the district is located in Rochester. Another building in the district is the house of Joseph Hemphill, a local landowner who platted much of Bridgewater in 1818. Built in 1818, it is Bridgewater's oldest extant house.
During Bridgewater's heyday, Bridge Street was a vibrant downtown street. Its buildings housed a wide variety of businesses, ranging from offices to stores to metalworking shops. Among the leading businesses of Bridge Street, the Keystone Bakery, was once the largest bakery in Western Pennsylvania outside of Pittsburgh and Allegheny
Allegheny, Pennsylvania
Allegheny City was a Pennsylvania municipality located on the north side of the junction of the Allegheny and Ohio rivers, across from downtown Pittsburgh. It was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907...
. Now located on Market Street, Keystone left Bridge Street in 1884 because of its rapid expansion.
The Bridgewater United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
was organized in 1839 and built its first building in the same year. Its current building, a Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
structure located on Market Street, was erected in 1907. First Presbyterian Church
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...
worships in a Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
church at the western end of Bridge Street. The congregation was founded as the result of an 1845 split in the Presbyterian church in Rochester. Built in 1845 and remodelled several times since, the church remains in use to the present day.