Bridgewater has always been more than a place on a map. Its character has been shaped over generations - by the land and the people who inhabited it before European settlement; by farmers, tradespeople and entrepreneurs; by artists, public servants and families; and by generations of residents who have made conscious choices to preserve the town’s landscape, history, and distinctive sense of place.
Today, the Bridgewater Historical Society has an extraordinary collection of objects, documents, photographs and stories that illuminate this history. The creation of a permanent museum offers an opportunity to preserve these materials and use them to tell a larger story: how this community came to be, what has endured, what has changed, and what each generation inherits from those that came before.
Our Vision
We envision a museum that is both historical and living, one that connects Bridgewater’s past to its present and future. Its work will be guided by four principles:
Preservation. Protect the objects, documents, stories, and traditions that record Bridgewater’s history and character and make them accessible to future generations.
Community. Tell a rich and inclusive story of Bridgewater that helps longtime residents, newcomers, children and visitors understand the people, events and ideas that have shaped this place and feel that they, too, belong to its continuing story.
Stewardship. Celebrate the generations who have cared for Bridgewater while encouraging today’s residents to recognize their own responsibility for what comes next. Preservation is not simply an act of looking backward; it is a commitment to what we pass forward.
Connection. Create a place where people of different generations, backgrounds and perspectives can gather around shared stories and experiences. At a time when many traditional community institutions are weakening and much of our interaction has moved online, the museum can provide something increasingly valuable: a place to encounter one another, learn from one another and strengthen our sense of common ground.
The museum will bring these principles to life through compelling storytelling rather than simply displaying a collection. Objects will open doors to the people and stories behind them. Oral histories, photographs, maps and digital interpretation can extend those stories beyond the museum’s walls. Exhibitions and programming will evolve so that residents have reasons to return, participate and contribute to their own histories.
Above all, the Peck House Museum will remind us that every generation has shaped this town, and every generation has a role to its future.
Our task is to preserve what we have inherited, understand it honestly and fully, share it generously, and pass it forward.