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The Hopkinton Town Green meets the following criteria for TAUNY’s Register of Very Special Places:
Shortly after the town of Hopkinton was settled by Vermont farm families in the early nineteenth century, the town’s founder, Roswell Hopkins, signed a deed “giving and granting a parcel of land to the inhabitants of the town for the purpose of having a village green or common.” It was a land use settlement pattern common for generations before them in New England. Shortly after, there was a meeting house [later the Town Hall] built on the north side of the park, as well as the Congregational Church, a general store that became a residence and, most recently, the town’s museum and library. The green has been the site of many community gatherings over the years, including militia drills, political rallies, weddings, ice cream socials and, for many years, the local fire department’s annual barbecues and field days. The big ice storm of January 1998 destroyed many of the century-old maple trees but local citizens cleaned up the debris, planted new trees and planned a big celebration for the town’s bicentennial in 2002. A gazebo and period lights were erected and a play area for children created, insuring the green’s future as a centerpiece of local social life.
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Hopkinton green ca 1902 The Town Green with surrounding buildings on the north and west side as it appeared in Sanford’s history in 1903.
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A panoramic photograph of the Hopkinton green with, l. to r., Trask residence [now museum], church, town hall and Chittendens general store taken from south side of Route 11B. ca. 1900
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A panoramic photographic of the Hopkinton green from south side of Route 11B taken in 2006
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The Hopkinton Town Hall, built in 1870, as it appeared in Sanford’s history, 1903.
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The second such building on this site for such purpose, the Town Hall has been the central public building of the town since 1815.
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Museum & Library 2006 Built as a general store by Samuel Wilson in 1817, this is now the home of the Hopkinton Museum, library and local historian’s office.
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Congo Church ca. 1902 The First Congregational Church of Hopkinton, built in 1892 to replace first church that burned, as it appears in Carlton Sanford’s Early History of Hopkinton, 1903.
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The simple, country Queen Anne style First Congregational Church of Hopkinton as it appears today.
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The interior of the church today hasn’t changed in appearance significantly since it was built.
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The Bicentennial Gazebo in the center of the park was purchased and erected by the Hopkinton Historical Group as a gift to the community in 2002 to celebrate the founding of the town in 1802.
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Children playing in the park ca.2005.
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Since the town’s bicentennial, the park is again used frequently for public gatherings, like Homecoming Weekend in 2006.