The town was located on the northern portion of the Taunton River system, and had an economy primarily based on agriculture, though industrial development followed. Iron works in the town provided muskets and cannon for the Colonial armies during the American Revolution. There was more residential development in the late 19th and early 20th centuries along the community's rail and trolley lines. The famous bank robber Jack Turner had a brother who owned a home in East Bridgewater during the mid 1800s. It is widely believed that Turner had left his fortune there before he was mistakenly shot by Union agents outside of Richmond, Virginia in 1864. Today, East Bridgewater is mostly known as a residential community.
East Bridgewater is a typical community of Southeastern Massachusetts, with ponds, woods and rivers around the town. The Matfield River enters the town through Bridgewater, branching off to the Satucket River and Poor Meadow Brook. Robbins Pond, the largest body of water in the town, is located in the southeastern corner of town. The Beaver Brook Beagle Club, a large woodlands area, is located in the northwest corner of town.
