Hopedale

History

Hopedale was first settled by Europeans in 1660. Benjamin Albee built a mill on what is now the south end of Hopedale in 1664. A area of the Blackstone Valley was incorporated as the town of Mendon. In 1780, Milford separated from Mendon. On August 26, 1841, Adin Ballou, along with the Practical Christians, gave Hopedale its name, within the town of Milford. Ballou and the Practical Christians established the Hopedale Community based on Christian and socialist ideologies in 1842. The utopian commune went bankrupt in 1856, and its assets were purchased by Ebenezer and George Draper, manufacturers of looms. The Draper factory was slated to be demolished beginning in July 2020, and as of October 2020, demolition has begun. To many of the citizens’ surprise, the latter attempt was successful, and the land where the factory once sat has been completely leveled and cleaned. To this day, only a few of the external satellite buildings remain scattered throughout downtown. It is not yet known what the land will be used for. Hopedale is included in the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, although much of the town lies within the Charles River watershed.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.20%, is water. The largest body of water is Hopedale Pond, located close to the town center. Hopedale Pond is surrounded by the Parklands, a 275-acre public nature reserve with walking trails, designed in 1899 by a firm operated by Frederick Law Olmsted. The central business district, known by Census Bureau as the Hopedale Census-Designated Place (CDP), is located at (42.129872, −71.539594). According to the Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and (1.15%) is water. Hopedale is located in the Blackstone Valley.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  23,971
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  22,428
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  22,139
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  20,536
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  20,296
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  17,849
• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves
  17,489
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  16,852

Largest nearby schools

• Milford High
  High · Milford · 1,324 students · 12.1:1 ratio
• Blackstone Valley
  High · Upton · 1,230 students · 11.5:1 ratio
• Stacy Middle
  Middle · Milford · 1,030 students · 11.6:1 ratio
• Northbridge Elementary School
  Elementary · Whitinsville · 953 students · 11.9:1 ratio
• Woodland
  Elementary · Milford · 943 students · 11.1:1 ratio
• Grafton High School
  High · Grafton · 875 students · 12.3:1 ratio
• Miscoe Hill School
  Middle · Mendon · 635 students · 12.2:1 ratio
• Nipmuc Regional High
  High · Upton · 599 students · 12.5:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3.6 — 2020-11-08
  10 km S of Bliss Corner, Massachusetts
• M 2.7 — 2018-02-15
  0 km SE of East Kingston, New Hampshire
• M 2.6 — 2015-01-13
  2 km E of Wauregan, Connecticut
• M 3.3 — 2015-01-12
  0 km NE of Wauregan, Connecticut
• M 2.5 — 2007-10-19
  2 km WSW of Littleton Common, Massachusetts
• M 2.5 — 2005-11-17
  4 km S of Plymouth, Massachusetts