Hopedale, Massachusetts

Hopedale is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,911 at the 2010 census.

History

Hopedale was first settled 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. Various industries developed under the direction of the Draper brothers, including the Hopedale Machine Company and Hopedale Furnace Company.  The town was officially incorporated in 1886 when it separated from Milford. George Draper designed, paid for, and constructed the town hall, which is constructed of granite from Milford and sandstone, and was dedicated in 1887.  The Unitarian church was another gift from the Drapers, and the Bancroft Memorial Library was a gift from a superintendent at the plant.  The marble sculpture outside the library was paid for by the Drapers and shipped from Rome in 1904. In 1905, women were granted permission to swim at the town beach.

The family loom business continued to develop with subsequent generations, and at its peak, the Draper Corporation was the largest maker of textile looms in the United States. The company was acquired by Rockwell International in 1967.  The Draper factory in Hopedale closed on August 29, 1980.

Hopedale is included in the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor and is an historic mill village of national significance.

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 not far from the town center.

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 4.5 km2 (1.7 mi2). 4.5 km2 (1.7 mi2) of it is land and 0.1 km2 (0.04 mi2) of it (1.15%) is water.

Adjacent towns
Hopedale is located in central Massachusetts, bordered by 4 towns:

Demographics

Town

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,907 people, 2,240 households, and 1,572 families residing in the town.  The population density was 1,145.8 people per square mile (442.0/km²).  There were 2,289 housing units at an average density of 444.0 per square mile (171.3/km²).  The racial makeup of the town was 97.23% White, 0.56% Black or African American, 0.02% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.51% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.17% of the population.

There were 2,240 households out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the town, the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $60,176, and the median income for a family was $68,571. Males had a median income of $47,380 versus $31,144 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,791.  About 2.9% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

CDP

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,158 people, 1,616 households, and 1,082 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 933.4/km2 (2,411.4/mi2). There were 1,657 housing units at an average density of 372.0/km2 (961.0/mi2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.43% White, 0.51% Black or African American, 0.02% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.63% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.

There were 1,616 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the CDP, the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $58,750, and the median income for a family was $67,417. Males had a median income of $45,694 versus $29,740 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $24,088. About 3.4% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people
Adin Ballou, noted 19th-century pacifist, socialist, and abolitionist
Dick Bresciani, Boston Red Sox executive
Brendan Burke, Major League Soccer coach
Eben Sumner Draper, 44th Governor of Massachusetts
Eben S. Draper Jr., Massachusetts state representative
Jason Myles Goss, singer/songwriter
Dana Gould, comedian
Kevin Nee, professional strongman athlete
Joe Perry of Aerosmith

Public schools
Students in grades K–6 go to the Memorial School. Hopedale Junior Senior High School is for grades 7–12.

Places of Worship
There are currently three houses of worship in Hopedale.

Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church
Hopedale Unitarian Parish
Union Evangelical Church

See also
 Bancroft Memorial Library
 Hopedale Industrial Park Airport
Hopedale Junior Senior High School
 List of mill towns in Massachusetts

References

Further reading

External links

 Town of Hopedale official website
Geocities: Hopedale chronology
Nipmuck Nation

Category:Towns in Worcester County, Massachusetts
Category:Towns in Massachusetts
Category:Company towns in Massachusetts