[4] According to the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society, the book History of Rockingham County, Virginia said John Dinkle built a carding mill there around 1810 and the settlement came to be called Dinkletown.

The first bridge across the North River was built in 1820 along the town's north-south axis (present-day SR 42 / Main Street); and, for a time, the young community was known as Bridgeport.

[4] The Town received its charter from the Virginia General Assembly on February 7, 1835, then incorporated as Bridgewater.

[10][11] As a result, the US Army Corps of Engineers constructed a long earthen levee to protect large portions of the town against future flooding.

[13] The event has grown to include a 5k race, carnival rides, and live music, and is attended by thousands of people.

[14] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.52 sq mi (6.5 km2), nearly all of it being land.

According to the 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-year estimates,[3] the median income for a household in the town was $55,205, and for a family was $62,483.

The parks provide everything from picnic shelters, BBQ grills, riverwalks and fishing, bird watching, a fitness trail, playgrounds, tennis courts, and a little league field.

The biggest and busiest of the town parks, Oakdale is home to our Summer's End Celebration as well as the North River Library and the Bridgewater Little League Program.

Park amenities include a basketball court, two playgrounds (one for preschool children, the other for school-aged children), BBQ grills and water spigots at the shelters, four horseshoe pits, plenty of off-street parking, and open areas to run and play.

In 2019, Bridgewater opened the Sipe Center as a performing arts venue, movie theater, and municipal meeting hall.

Sipe Company, Inc. building (located at the intersection of Main and College streets) and, due to the old wooden hulk's structural issues, demolished it.

Sipe Center hosts diverse monthly performances including live music, magic shows, and Shakespeare productions.