Bainbridge, IN

Bainbridge is a Putnam County town in Monroe Township, with 684 residents in the 2020 census. North Putnam Community Schools’ central office is on Washington Street, and the town sits among the farms, county roads, and covered bridges of west-central Indiana. The town’s historic district covers blocks along Washington and Main streets, giving the small center a recognizable nineteenth-century street pattern. Big Walnut Creek, a National Natural Landmark, lies nearby and adds a strong natural landmark to the county setting.

Levi A. Pearcy laid Bainbridge out in 1831, and the town was named for Commodore William Bainbridge, a War of 1812 naval hero. A post office followed in 1835, incorporation in 1847, and the railroad brought a second burst of growth in the 1850s. The old Louisville, New Albany and Chicago route helped turn the town into a local shipping and trading point. Today, the Bainbridge Historic District, North Putnam schools, and nearby covered bridges keep the place connected to both its town center and its rural county setting.