The school at Bridgewater was the first public school in Rockingham County outside of Harrisonburg. In 1872, a three-room school with 92 pupils began operation in Bridgewater. The school, under the direction of Rev. J. H. Barb, received $300 from Peabody Education funds during its first year. By the 1873-74 school year a new frame four-room building had been constructed at the corner of what is now Main Street and Dinkel Avenue.Land for the school was deeded to the Ashby District school trustees on March 4, 1875 by R. N. Pool and wife. This new school became the Valley Normal School, the first teacher education school in the county. From 1873-1877 the Valley Normal School operated under the direction of Prof. Alcide Reichenbuch and in addition to its advanced program, also offered a public elementary education. Faculty members included A. L. Funk, Laura O'Farrall, a sister to Governor Charles O'Farrall, T. S. Denison, S. S. Owens, Virginia Paul and Miss M. A. Brown. After some internal difficulties, the Normal school ceased operation in 1877 but the grade and high school was continued. The principals at the Bridgewater High and Graded school from 1877-1895 included: Rev. A. L. Funk (1877-78), George H. Hulvey, later Superintendent of Schools for Rockingham County (1878-1880), J. N. Fries (1880-81), George A. Earman (1881-82), Gertrude Jenkins (1882-83), M. H. Richcreek (1883-85), John S. McLeod (1885-93), Thomas J. O'Neill (1893-94) and G. L. Brown (1894-95). The last principals at the four-room frame building were: M. A. Good (1906-07), J. N. Dunivan (1909-10), and John S. McLeod (1910-11).

In 1911 the old frame building was torn down and a brick school built on the same site with additional land secured from S. G. Dinkel (deed dated June 9, 1910) S. S. Shoemaker became the principal and served until 1918. In 1911, Bridgewater had 197 pupils in the grades and 20 in the high school program. The school met the requirements for a three-year high school program. During the 1916-17 school year, the school became a fully accredited four-year high school, the first in Rockingham County. By that time, the high school enrollment was 75.

In 1922, a four-room annex was built to the rapidly growing school. The Odd Fellows Hall across Main Street was used for two classrooms. The Agriculture shop was built in 1930 and, in 1933, an addition that included a gymnasium was added to the school. The school continued to serve as the high school until 1956 when Turner Ashby High School was opened at Dayton. Bridgewater then became an elementary school until it was closed in 1989. Principals who served at the high school and the elementary school were: S. S. Shoemaker (1911-1918), Miss Lina E.Sanger (1918-1930), Marvin Suter (1930-1941), Boyd J. Glick (1941-1951), Harry W. McCary (1951-59), Lawrence D. Bowers (1959-1963), Charles Pellman (1963-1987), and Edmund P. Price (1987-89). When the school was closed in 1989, the school was combined with Dayton into the new John W. Wayland Elementary School.

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