Hopkinton, Massachusetts, United States

🇺🇸 Hopkinton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, less than 30 miles (48 km) west of Boston. The town is best known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon, held annually on Patriots' Day in April, and as the headquarters for the enterprise-oriented Dell EMC. A village within the town is known as Woodville.

History The Town of Hopkinton was incorporated on December 13, 1715. Hopkinton was named for an early colonist of Connecticut, Edward Hopkins, who left a large sum of money to be invested in land in New England, the proceeds of which were to be used for the benefit of Harvard University. The trustees of Harvard purchased 12 500 acres of land from the Native American residents with money from the fund and incorporated the area, naming it in honor of its benefactor.

Grain was the first production crop grown in the area, while fruit and dairy industries were developed later. Agriculture predominated until 1840 when the boot and shoe industries were introduced into the town. By 1850 eleven boot and shoe factories were established in Hopkinton. Fires in 1882 and the migration of those industries to other parts of the country eliminated these industries from Hopkinton.

There are 215 Hopkinton properties listed in the State Register of Historic Places. The majority, 187, are located within the Cedar Swamp Archaeological District in Hopkinton and Westborough. The properties are also listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Twenty-three properties are included within the Hopkinton Center Historic District, a local historic district which comprises properties around the Town Common, on East Main St. and the south side of Main St. The district was expanded in 2000 to include the Town Hall and in 2001 to include Center School. The Hopkinton Supply Company Building on Main St., located slightly west of the district, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Former factory worker housing in the centre of town, contrasted against the more rural areas surrounding it, are visual reminders of Hopkinton's past.

In 2005 the town established a second historic district in the village of Woodville. Ninety-seven properties are included within this district. The village of Woodville has retained its distinctive village atmosphere and strong architectural connection to Hopkinton's industrial development and growth from the mid-to-late 19th century. The area was an early cotton clothmaking centre and the site of a major shoe factory. When Boston seized Lake Whitehall for its water supply in 1894, the factories along its shores were closed or moved to other sites, as they were considered sources of pollution. Remaining factories and other buildings were destroyed in a fire in 1909. In the 18th century, it was an agricultural area with a few farms scattered north of the much smaller Lake Whitehall and its accompanying cedar swamp, and was the site of a grist mill on Whitehall Brook as early as 1714.

Within or near the Miscoe-Warren-Whitehall Watersheds ACEC (Area of Critical Environmental Concern), remains of large pits have been found. The pits were lined with bark by the Native Americans and used to store corn over the winter months.

At one time, it was believed that the waters flowing from the large swamp south of Pond St., under Pond St. and into Lake Whitehall contained magical healing powers. As a result, the area quickly was built up as a resort area. Visitors came by stagecoach to the Hopkinton Hotel, which was located between Pond St. and the lake. The mineral baths and their powers lured the visitors to the area. The baths can still be viewed by the edge of the stream that drains from the swamp. Within the ACEC area are also two beehive shaped stone structures, about 6 feet (1.8 m) tall. Their origin and use are unknown.

Hopkinton gains national attention once a year in April as it hosts the start of the Boston Marathon, a role the town has enjoyed since 1924. The town takes pride in its hospitality as runners from all over the world gather in Hopkinton to begin the 26.2-mile (42.2 km) run to Boston. It is also a sister city of Marathon, Greece.

Geography Hopkinton is in the south-west corner of Middlesex County in eastern Massachusetts, 17 miles (27 km) east of Worcester, 26 miles (42 km) west of Boston, and 195 miles (314 km) from New York City. It is bordered by six towns: • North = Southborough • Northeast = Ashland • Southeast = Holliston • South = Milford • Southwest = Upton • Northwest = Westborough

All but Ashland and Holliston are in neighboring Worcester County.

Hopkinton village is in the centre of town, at the intersection of Main Street (Massachusetts Route 135) with Cedar Street/Grove Street (Massachusetts Route 85). The neighborhood of Woodville is in the western part of the town, along Route 135 at the north end of Whitehall Reservoir. Hopkinton State Park is in the northern part of the town, extending north-east into Ashland.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.9 square miles (72.3 km²), of which 26.2 square miles (67.9 km²) are land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), or 5.85%, are water. Besides Whitehall Reservoir, notable water bodies include Hopkinton Reservoir in the north, in Hopkinton State Park, and North Pond and Echo Lake in the south. Whitehall Reservoir and Hopkinton Reservoir drain north to the Sudbury River, part of the Concord River watershed leading to the Merrimack River. North Pond, in the south-west part of town, forms the headwaters of the Mill River, which flows south to join the Blackstone River in Rhode Island. Echo Lake, in the south-east part of town, is at the headwaters of the Charles River, which flows east to Boston Harbor.

Library The Hopkinton Public Library was founded in 1867. It has been located in the heart of downtown, just steps away from the Town Common, since 1895. Until 1955, bequests were the only source of funding for the library. Since that time, the town government has been appropriating public funds for employee salaries, cost of cleaning the Library, utilities and assistance with the purchase of books. The library is now funded through various sources that include the Town Government, The McGovern Trust Fund, Annual State Aid and Friends of the Library.

The town library was established by the Young Men's Christian Association in 1867. Seven members served as the Trustees, incorporated the Library and adopted by-laws for the government of the Library in 1890. The current building was built in 1895 with contributions from local and former residents of Hopkinton. The second floor was used as a lecture hall and was remodeled later as a children's room. A gallery was built to connect the Library building with the adjacent Episcopal Church after extensive renovation in 1967. This new section was named after the head librarian at the time, Mrs. Betty Strong. A special feature of the reading room is a stained glass window with a motif of water fountain bubbling water flowing over an open book and the inscription on the page reads "The fountain of wisdom flows through books". The large hall clock that still stands near the circulation desk was presented to the Library by Mrs. F.V. Thompson and Mr. Abram Crooks.

The library was transferred to the town government in May 2010. Five members were appointed as the Library Trustees. Starting from May 2011, elections have been held annually for the members of the Library Board according to the new town charter.

In January 2016, the library announced they would make renovations to the building and moved to a temporary location at 65 South Street while the historic building on Main Street undergoes a major renovation and expansion.

In October 2017, the renovated and expanded library reopened in its downtown location at 13 Main Street.

Economy and business Hopkinton is the corporate headquarters of Dell EMC, a global manufacturer of software and systems for information management and storage. Dell EMC, in addition to providing $1 million in annual real estate tax revenues, is a major contributor to the town's schools and recreational services. On September 7, 2016, Dell and EMC merged, creating Dell EMC.

Transport Hopkinton is situated 26 miles (42 km) west of Boston in the MetroWest region of Massachusetts. Interstate Route 495 divides the town into east and west zones, which are connected by numerous spokes providing direct access to the airport and other communities in the Greater Boston Metropolitan Area.

Major highways Hopkinton is served by two interstate highways and two state highways. Interstates 90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike) and 495, form an interchange on the northern border of Hopkinton and neighboring Westborough. Proximity to Route 9 (The Boston/Worcester Turnpike) and Route 30 in Westborough, gives additional access to east/west destinations.

Principal highways are: • Interstate 90 (Massachusetts Turnpike) (east/west) (the longest interstate highway in the United States) • Interstate 495 (north/south) • State Route 135 (east/west) • State Route 85 (north/south)

Nearby major intersections • Interstate 495 in Westborough, Massachusetts • Interstate 95 in Weston, Massachusetts

Transport: Rail There is no passenger or freight rail service in Hopkinton.

Hopkinton is served by the Southborough MBTA Station, located on the border of Hopkinton and Southborough on Route 85 at Southville Road. MBTA commuter rail service is available to South Station and Back Bay Station, Boston, via the MBTA Framingham-Worcester Commuter Rail Line which connects South Station in Boston and Union Station in Worcester. Travel time to Back Bay is about 50 minutes.

Originally called the Framingham Commuter Rail Line, Framingham was the end of the line until rail traffic was expanded to Worcester in 1996. The line also serves the communities of Newton, Wellesley, Natick, Ashland, Southborough, Westborough and Grafton.

Direct rail service to Boston, to New York, and to many other points on the Amtrak network (National Railroad Passenger Corporation) is available through nearby Framingham.

CSX Transportation provides freight rail service and operates an auto transloading facility in nearby Framingham.

Transport: Bus • Hopkinton is a Member Community of the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority, which provides local bus service to several towns in the MetroWest area, with service to the MBTA commuter rail station at Framingham. • Peter Pan Bus Lines provides service to Worcester and Boston from Framingham.

Transport: Air Boston's Logan International Airport is easily accessible from nearby Framingham. MassPort provides public transportation to all airport terminals from Framingham via the Logan Express bus service seven days per week. The bus terminal and paid parking facility are located on the Shoppers' World Mall property, off the Massachusetts Turnpike Exit 13, between Route 9 and Route 30, at the intersections of East Road and the Burr Street connector.

Worcester Regional Airport, a Primary Commercial (PR) facility with scheduled passenger service, is easily accessible. It has two asphalt runways 5,500 and 6,900 ft (1,700 and 2,100 m) long. Instrument approaches available include precision and non-precision. The airport is served by JetBlue, American Eagle, and Delta.

Commuter services Park and ride services: • MassDOT operates a free park and ride facility at the parking lot at the intersection of Flutie Pass and East Road on the south side of Shoppers' World Mall. • MassDOT also operates a free park and ride facility at a parking lot adjacent to exit 12 of the Massachusetts Turnpike, across from California Avenue on the west side of Framingham.

Media: Press Hopkinton has two local newspapers: The Hopkinton Independent and The Hopkinton Crier, and three online news outlets, HCAM, Hopkinton Patch and HopNews. The town is also served by The Boston Globe, The MetroWest Daily News, and the Telegram & Gazette.

Media: Television Hopkinton has a PEG television network known as HCAM, which controls two channels. Many HCAM shows can be viewed directly on their website.

HCAM-TV HCAM-TV is the most-received of HCAM's channels, available in every household with cable television in the area. It can be found on Comcast channel 8 and Verizon channel 30. The channel's daily schedule consists mostly of programming aimed at a family audience. Along with series and informative programming, HCAM-TV broadcasts the filming of one-time events (such as performances on the Hopkinton Common and films by the Hopkinton Center for the Arts).

HCAM-ED HCAM-ED, sister channel to HCAM-TV, is received by fewer households and has lower programming standards than HCAM-TV. It is found on Comcast channel 96 and Verizon channel 31. The HCAM website also includes news articles and photos, updated daily.

Points of interest • Hopkinton State Park, located on Route 85 (Cordaville Road), is a Massachusetts state park managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, that was created after the Hopkinton Reservoir was removed from service as a water source for the Greater Boston area. • Whitehall State Park, located on Route 135 (Wood Street), is a Massachusetts state park managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. It was created in 1947, when the Whitehall Reservoir was removed from service as a water source for the Greater Boston area.

Accolades • 2020 – Hopkinton Public Schools was ranked #15 of all 412 public school districts in Massachusetts • 2014 – Hopkinton made the 'SafeWise 50 Safest Cities in Massachusetts' • 2013 – National Citizen Survey results conducted by the National Research Center • 2012 – Hopkinton ranked 4th in the Central MA's Best Communities 2012 round-up • 2009 – Money magazine ranks Hopkinton 19th best place to live

Culture • Beginning in 1924, when the Boston Athletic Association chose to move the start line from Ashland, MA, Hopkinton has garnered worldwide attention as the starting point of the annual Boston Marathon.

Historical commission The Town of Hopkinton established a historical commission which manages "the preservation, protection and development of the historical or archeological assets of such city or town". Projects include conducting research for places of historic or archeological value, assisting cooperatively with others engaged in such research, and carrying out other initiatives for the purpose of protecting and preserving such places.

** Historic Places** Hopkinton has two properties in the register.

1 Cedar Swamp Archeological District, Address Restricted. Listed 1988-05-23

2 Hopkinton Supply Company Building, 26-28 Main Street. Listed 1983-03-10