Empire Street

Address:  48-50 Empire St.

Architecture:

• This house has a truncated hip roof and it built quite plainly. It features a portico entranceway with pilars with moulded capitals. Its moulded window hoods, original windows, and chimney have been removed with renovations.

History:

• William B. Freeman bought this lot for $75 in 1871 and built this house before he sold the lot in 1874 for $600. The Church Map (c. 1883) identifies a B. Freeman owning this property. It is unclear which Freeman this was referring to. William was a prominent Bridgewater citizen at the turn of the centurt. He was Fire Chief in 1908 and in 1907 he formed the Bates-Freeman Hardware Co. with W.O. Bates. This successful business was located on King St. The home stayed in the family until at least the 1980s.