2010 population: 6,916
42°01′08″N 71°00′30″W
West Bridgewater was first settled in 1651 as a part of Olde Bridgewater. It was officially incorporated on its own in 1822; 2nd of the three communities to separate from Bridgewater (after North Bridgewater, now Brockton, MA and before East Bridgewater, MA) over the span of three years. WB had both agrarian and industrial roots. The Town River provided water power for milling and irrigation for farming. WB is home to the oldest standing parsonage in the US (the Keith House, 1662). And is also believed to be the site of the first industrial park in the US, now the site of the Town Park. The original Ames shovel works were located in the park. Today WB is mostly residential.
According to the United States Census Bureau, WB has a total area of 15.8 square miles (41 km2), of which, 15.7 square miles (41 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.57%) is water. West Bridgewater is bordered by Brockton to the north, East Bridgewater to the east, Bridgewater to the south, and Easton to the west, as well as a small section (less than a quarter of a mile long) of the southwestern corner that borders the town of Raynham.
West Bridgewater is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the 10th Plymouth district, which includes portions of Brockton and Easton. It is represented in the Massachusetts Senate as a part of the Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth district. West Bridgewater is governed on the local level by the open town meeting form of government, led by an administrative assistant and a board of selectmen.
WB operates its own police and fire departments. The fire department also has an ambulance service. West Bridgewater Public Library is located around the corner from the post office and is a member of the SAILS network.
West Bridgewater school system has approximately 1,220 students. The Spring Street School serves pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students. The Rose L. MacDonald School serves first, second and third-grade students. The Howard School serves fourth, fifth and sixth-grade students. The West Bridgewater Middle-Senior High School serves students from grades 7-12. West Bridgewater’s mascot is the Wildcat, and their colors are maroon and white.
The West Bridgewater, MA BuzzAround Newsletter launched in December 2011.
