Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Transportation

Location

9689 US-20, Bridgewater, NY 13313, USA

Lat/Long

42.8787, -75.2462

Grant Recipient

Route 20 Association of New York State

The Bridgewater Depot was constructed around 1901 in the rural hamlet of Bridgewater, New York. Built to serve the Delaware, Lackawanna, & Western R.R. and the Unadilla Valley R.R., the constructions of the train depot was met with a great deal of anticipation and excitement from the community as indicated in the November 13, 1901 edition of the Brookfield Courier

Patrons of the U.V. railroad, no matter where they live, hear with delight that the new union depot at Bridgewater is nearly if not quite complete, and is now in use. Some of them have viewed it with approval and many others hope to inspect it at an early date, any improvement connected with the U.V. road is of interest all through the valley. As far as concerns train service, there is nothing more to ask for the completion of the new station at Bridgewater removes the last and only cause for complaint.

The depot served the surrounding area for many years, bringing prosperity to Bridgewater. As time passed, popular modes of transportation evolved and changed. An April 28, 1960 edition of the Oneonta Star reported:

The Interstate Commerce Commission Wednesday authorized the Unadilla Valley Railway to abandon its entire line, consisting of about 50 miles of track, in central New York State. The line runs between New Berlin Junction and Bridgewater, and between New Berlin and Edmeston. The company said the line has been losing money.

After the Unadilla Valley Railroad’s line between New Berlin Junction and Bridgewater ceased operation, the depot sat abandoned until 2003, when it was acquired by the local historical society. Since then, it underwent extensive renovations and, as of 2020, serves as the Bridgewater Historical Society.