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Archives & Special Collections

Maxwell Library Digital Projects

Explore the rich history of Bridgewater State University through the collections of the Clement C. Maxwell Library in these digital projects and exhibits.

Bridgewater Normal School fire, 1924

“$1,000,000 Blaze at Bridgewater”: A Campus Transformed

A devastating fire in the early morning hours of December 10, 1924 destroyed over half of the Bridgewater Normal School campus. The school rebounded by quickly reopening and rebuilding, modernizing the campus and setting a pattern for continued expansion and improvements.

Bridgewater Normal School classroom, circa 1876

Bridgewater Normal School Classrooms

A selection of classroom photographs from the State Normal School at Bridgewater, Massachusetts from the 1870s to the early 1900s.

Virtual Commons

Virtual Commons

Virtual Commons is Bridgewater State University’s open-access repository for the scholarly works, research, publications, creative activity, and reports produced by the faculty, students, and staff of Bridgewater State University and its collaborative partners.

Bridgewater State College football logo

Football Returns to BSC

After an absence of over 30 years, intercollegiate football returned to Bridgewater State College in the fall of 1960. These first seasons were distinguished by the enthusiasm, sportsmanship, and determination of the students both on and off the field.

Victorian-era shape book illustration

Victorian-Era Shape Books

Toy books, such as die-cut shape books and movable books, were published to tempt young readers with their out-of-the ordinary shapes and interactive designs. Illustrated with colorful and fanciful pictures, these juvenile works continue to enchant children and adults today.

Hyannis State Normal School

Hyannis State Normal School, 1897-1944

Surrounded by the natural beauty of Cape Cod, the State Normal School at Hyannis, Massachusetts provided almost fifty years of progressive educational training, influencing generations of teachers and students in Massachusetts and beyond.

Ambrotype of a Bridgewater State Normal School student

BSU on Digital Commonwealth

Explore the BSU Archives and Special Collections gallery in Digital Commonwealth, the repository for historical collections from libraries, museums, and archives across Massachusetts. Our collections include Boston Theatre Broadsides, glass plate negatives of the college and town of Bridgewater, ambrotypes of students from the 1850s, and much more.

Massachusetts Archaeological Society logo

Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society

Search or browse the Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society, in publication since 1939.

Albert G. Boyden

Leading the Journey: The Principals and Presidents of BSU

A look at the twelve individuals who have led Bridgewater State University since its founding in 1840.

Bridgewater Normal School Building

Early Postcards of the State Normal School, Bridgewater, Mass.

View the Bridgewater State University campus (then known as the State Normal School at Bridgewater, Massachusetts) as depicted in these postcards from the early 20th century.