History / Bridgeport Hall of Fame

Bridgeport Borough, being located on the Schuylkill River, has a long history of being a factory and mill town. For decades, goods were manufactured in Bridgeport, and transported by barge along the now defunct Schuylkill River Canal. You can still see remnants of the old canal in parts of the northern side of the borough. Textile mills, metal fabricators, and countless other industries have called Bridgeport home. The town's largest industrial park, Continental Business Center, made national news in 2001, when a catastrophic fire leveled the property. While the manufacturing industry still plays a large role in Bridgeport, the majority of businesses are now trending toward being service oriented, and Bridgeport boasts a rather impressive collection of restaurants.

Bridgeport Borough was also once well-known for the number of churches in this tiny community. Originally heavily settled by Italian, Irish, and Eastern European immigrants, Bridgeport Borough has always prided itself on being a bastion for religious freedom and diversity. While many of those original churches are no longer in existence, those sentiments of diversity and tolerance are still strong today.

Fun Fact: The Bridgeport Bridge is a Historic American Engineering Record-documented Philadelphia & Western Railway bridge spanning the Schuylkill River west of DeKalb Street. It is a single-track curving structure that was built in 1912. The structure, including trestle approaches and spans over the river, has been believed to be "perhaps the longest bridge on an American interurban railroad".

Please be sure to visit the Bridgeport Hall of Fame. The photos you see below, and so much more, have been procured from the Bridgeport Hall of Fame. Located in the basement of Bridgeport Borough Hall, the Hall of Fame contains a meticulously compiled catalog of photographs, newspaper clippings, and community memorabilia that few other communities possess. The
Hall of Fame is open by appointment, and admission is free. Please contact Borough Hall at (610) 272-1811 to arrange a visit!

To know where we are going, we must know where we came from. History is an important part of any town, but it is particularly valued here in Bridgeport Borough. It is our hope that the content provided here will allow you to obtain a better understanding of the Borough of Bridgeport and her people.

History Book
Created in 1976, the "Bridgeport, Bridge to Valley Forge" book provides us with a view of the borough as it was more than 30 years ago.

 

 

Historical Building

 

 

Historical Building

History Book
A view of Bridgeport, PA during it's centennial anniversary. Written in 1951 by Edward Pinkowski, the "History of Bridgeport, PA" depicts the borough as it was during our 100th anniversary.

Bridgeport Badge

Parade

Historical Building


JFK

On October 29, 1960, John F. Kennedy drove through Bridgeport, PA on his way to Roosevelt Field in Norristown, PA. Hot on the campaign trail, Kennedy was on a grand tour of Montgomery county and spoke to thousands of voters that day at Roosevelt Field.