Hopkinton is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in Merrimack County,

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The population was 5,914 at the 2020 census. The town has three distinct communities: Hopkinton village, mainly a residential area in the center of the town; Contoocook, the town's business hub, located in the north; and West Hopkinton, within the more agricultural portion of the town. The town is home to the

Hopkinton State Fair The Hopkinton State Fair is an annual fair taking place in the village of Contoocook in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, United States. The fair began in 1915 and has continued to grow and become one of the most well known events in New England, and the ...

, adjacent to Contoocook village, and to the historic Contoocook Railroad Depot and the

Contoocook Railroad Bridge The Contoocook Railroad Bridge is a covered bridge on the former Contoocook Valley (first Concord & Claremont, later Boston & Maine) Railroad line spanning the Contoocook River in the center of the village of Contoocook, New Hampshire, United Sta ...

, the oldest

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

railroad bridge in the United States.

History

The town was granted by

colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

Governor

Jonathan Belcher Jonathan Belcher (8 January 1681/8231 August 1757) was a merchant, politician, and slave trader from colonial Massachusetts who served as both governor of Massachusetts Bay and governor of New Hampshire from 1730 to 1741 and governor of New J ...

in 1735 as "Number 5" to settlers from

Hopkinton, Massachusetts Hopkinton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, west of Boston. The town is best known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon, held annually on Patriots' Day each April, and as the headquarters for the Dell EMC corp ...

, who renamed it "New Hopkinton". First settled in 1736, colonists were required to build homes, fence in their land, plant it with English grass, and provide a home for a minister, all within seven years. The community was incorporated in 1765 by Governor

Benning Wentworth Benning Wentworth (July 24, 1696 – October 14, 1770) was an American merchant and colonial administrator who served as the governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766. While serving as governor, Wentworth is best known for issuing several l ...

, predating the establishment of counties in the colonial province. Built in 1789, the Congregational Church has a Revere bell. The state legislature met in Hopkinton occasionally between 1798 and 1807. In 1808, the town competed for the coveted position of state capital, but was defeated by neighboring

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...

. Since 1823, the town has been within Merrimack County. Life and times in Hopkinton, N

A substantial portion of the town in the north was named "Contoocook Village", for a tribe of the

Pennacook The Pennacook, also known by the names Penacook and Pennacock, were an Algonquian-speaking Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands who lived in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and southern Maine. They were not a united tribe but a netwo ...

people A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

who once lived there. Due to its position along the

Contoocook River The Contoocook River () is a river in New Hampshire. It flows from Contoocook Lake on the Jaffrey/ Rindge border to Penacook (just north of Concord), where it empties into the Merrimack River. It is one of only a few rivers in New Hampshire that ...

, it became a center for water-powered industry, particularly

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

and textiles. The Contoocook covered railroad bridge in the village is a remnant of the

Boston & Maine Railroad The Boston and Maine Railroad was a U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England. Originally chartered in 1835, it became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983 (most of which was purchased by CSX in 2022). At the end of 1970 ...

and is the oldest

covered bridge A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...

of its kind still standing in the United States. Next to the bridge is the Contoocook Railroad Depot, one of the original

railroad depot A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a Rail transport, railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passenger train, passengers, freight rail transport, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one r ...

s for the Concord and Claremont Railroad. Since 1915, Hopkinton has been home to the

, an event which attracts thousands of visitors each year during the Labor Day weekend.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 3.97% of the town. Hopkinton is drained by the

and its tributary, the

Warner River The Warner River is a river located in central New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Contoocook River, part of the Merrimack River watershed. The Warner River begins at the outlet of Todd Lake in Bradford, New Hampshire, ...

, except for the southeast part of town, which drains to the Turkey River. The highest point in town is Shaker Hill, on the border with Henniker, with an elevation of above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...

. Hopkinton lies fully within the

Merrimack River The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into M ...

watershed.

Adjacent municipalities

* Webster (north) *

(east) * Bow (southeast) * Dunbarton (southeast) * Weare (south) * Henniker (west) * Warner (northwest)

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 5,589 people, 2,204 households, and 1,631 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 124.7 people per square mile (48.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.6%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.07%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.1% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.2% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1% of the population. There were 2,204 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.1% were married couples living together, 7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals living alone, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.92. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 20, 3.3% from 20 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 35.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.8 years. The median income for a household in the town was $84,911, and the median income for a family was $88,796. Males had a median income of $53,806 versus $45,656 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $40,580. About 4.2% of the population was below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

Government

In the

New Hampshire Senate The New Hampshire Senate has been meeting since 1784. It is the upper house of the New Hampshire General Court, alongside the lower New Hampshire House of Representatives. It consists of 24 members representing Senate districts based on populatio ...

, Hopkinton is in the 15th District, represented by

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Dan Feltes Dan Feltes (born March 23, 1979) is an American lawyer, a member of the Democratic Party, and represented the 15th district of the New Hampshire Senate from 2014 until 2020. Feltes was chair of the Senate Ways & Means committee and was vice ch ...

. On the

New Hampshire Executive Council The Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire (commonly known as the Governor's Council) is the executive body of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The Executive Council advises the Governor on all matters and provides a check on the governor ...

, Hopkinton is in the 2nd District, represented by

Andru Volinsky Andru H. Volinsky (born March 13, 1956) is an American politician, attorney, and social justice advocate who served as a member of the Executive Council of New Hampshire from the 2nd district from 2017 to 2021. As an attorney, Volinsky served as ...

. In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, Hopkinton is in

New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district covers the western, northern, and some southern parts of New Hampshire. It includes the state's second-largest city, Nashua, as well as the state capital, Concord. It is currently represented in the Un ...

, represented by

Ann McLane Kuster Ann L. McLane Kuster (born September 5, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously worked as a lobbyist. Early life and education Kuster was b ...

Education

Public education is managed by the Hopkinton School District. Kindergarten through third-grade students attend Harold Martin School in Hopkinton village, and fourth through sixth graders attend Maple Street School in Contoocook village. The middle school is combined with Hopkinton High School in Contoocook village, which serves seventh through twelfth graders, and its sports teams are nicknamed the Hawks. Hopkinton High School consistently performs highly amongst other public schools in New Hampshire. According to a study conducted in early 2014 by '' U.S. News & World Report'', Hopkinton High School was ranked 1st among New Hampshire's public schools. Hopkinton High School has also been awarded a national silver medal and is ranked nationally #711 of the 19,400 public schools in the US. The school has ranked 1st consistently by ''U.S. News'' in 2015 and 2016. Hopkinton High School consistently ranks within the top 10% of public schools in New Hampshire. The town of Hopkinton also includes The Beech Hill School, an independent middle school serving grades 6th through 8th.

Notable people

Rose Flanders Bascom Rose Flanders Bascom, born in Contoocook, New Hampshire, Contoocook (a village of Hopkinton, New Hampshire, Hopkinton), Merrimack County, New Hampshire, Merrimack County, New Hampshire in 1880, was the first United States, American woman lion tamer ...

(1880–1915), first American female

lion tamer Lion taming is the taming and training of lions, either for protection or for use in entertainment, such as the circus. The term often applies to the taming and display of lions and other big cats such as tigers, leopards, jaguars, black pa ...

Carlton Chase Carlton Chase (February 20, 1794 – January 18, 1870) was the first Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Early life Chase was born in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, the son of Captain Charl ...

(1794–1870), bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire The Episcopal Church of New Hampshire, a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA), covers the entire state of New Hampshire. It was originally part of the Diocese of Massachusetts, but became independent in 1841. ...

* Thomas Corbett (1780–1857), Shaker doctor that was well known nationally for his

botanical medicine Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remedies ...

s *

Alvan Flanders Alvan Flanders (August 2, 1825 – March 14, 1894) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 8th governor of Washington Territory from 1869 to 1870. A member of the Republican, he previously served as the U.S. representative fo ...

(1825–1894), delegate from the

Territory of Washington The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...

John Williams Gunnison John Williams Gunnison (November 11, 1812 – October 26, 1853) was an American military officer and explorer. Biography Gunnison was born in Goshen, New Hampshire, in 1812 and attended Hopkinton Academy in Hopkinton, New Hampshire. He grad ...

(1812–1853), captain and surveyor with

Corps of Topographical Engineers The U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers was a branch of the United States Army authorized on 4 July 1838. It consisted only of officers who were handpicked from West Point and was used for mapping and the design and construction of federal ...

; attended Hopkinton Academy *

Matthew Harvey Matthew Harvey (June 21, 1781 – April 7, 1866) was a United States representative from New Hampshire, the 13th governor of New Hampshire and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. ...

(1781–1866), lawyer, politician; 13th

Governor of New Hampshire The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Verm ...

* Otto Heino (1915–2009), husband of Vivika,

ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...

artist * Vivika Heino (1910–1995), wife of Otto, ceramics artist * John S.C. Knowlton (1798–1871), newspaper editor, publisher, politician *

Annie Kuster Ann L. McLane Kuster (born September 5, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously worked as a lobbyist. Early life and education Kuster was b ...

(born 1956), current U.S. congresswoman representing New Hampshire's Second District *

Mary Greenleaf Clement Leavitt Mary Greenleaf Clement Leavitt (September 22, 1830 – February 5, 1912) was an educator and successful orator who became the first round-the-world missionary for the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). Setting out on virtually non-stop wor ...

(1830–1912), first round-the-world missionary for the

Woman's Christian Temperance Union The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization, originating among women in the United States Prohibition movement. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program th ...

Stephen Harriman Long Stephen Harriman Long (December 30, 1784 – September 4, 1864) was an American army civil engineer, explorer, and inventor. As an inventor, he is noted for his developments in the design of steam locomotives. He was also one of the most pro ...

(1784–1864), engineer, explorer, inventor * David Luneau (born 1965), Democratic member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, inventor * John Lynch (born 1952), 80th

Susan Lynch Susan Lynch (born 5 June 1971) is a Northern Irish actress. three-times an IFTA Award winner, she also won the British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 2003 film ''16 Years of Alcohol''. Her other film appearances in ...

, First Lady of New Hampshire to John Lynch * George H. Perkins (1836–1899),

Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore ...

for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Isabel Weld Perkins Isabel Anderson (March 29, 1876 – November 3, 1948), , was a Boston heiress, author, and society hostess who left a legacy to the public that includes a park and two museums. Life Early life Born at 284 Marlborough Street in Boston's B ...

(1876–1948),

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

area heiress, author and daughter of George H. Perkins * Elizabeth Wentworth Roberts (1871–1927), painter; founder of the

Concord Art Association Concord Art Association is a membership-based arts center in Concord, Massachusetts that conducts exhibits, lectures, classes, and tours. It was founded in 1917 by Elizabeth Wentworth Roberts and moved into its permanent location, the former John ...

Tina Satter Kristina "Tina" Satter (born 1974) is an American filmmaker, playwright, and director based in New York City. She is the founder and artistic director of the theater company Half Straddle, which formed in 2008 and received an Obie Award grant ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

-based playwright and director *

Irene Shepard Irene James Shepard (May 14, 1922 – April 13, 2014) was an American educator and politician. Born in Calais, Maine, Shepard received her bachelor's degree from University of Maine. She then taught French and lived in Hopkinton, New Hampshire ...

(1922–2014), educator, politician *

David Souter David Hackett Souter ( ; born September 17, 1939) is an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1990 until his retirement in 2009. Appointed by President George H. W. Bush to fill the seat ...

(born 1939), former associate justice of the

US Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point of ...

Richard Sylla Richard Eugene Sylla (born ) is the chairman of the board of trustees of the Museum of American Finance. Before his retirement in 2015, he served as the Henry Kaufman Professor of the History of Financial Institutions and Markets and a professor ...

, writer, professor *

Susan Ware Susan Ware (born August 22, 1950) is an American independent scholar, writer and editor who lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Hopkinton, New Hampshire. The author of eight biographies, two edited collections, and co-editor of a textbook, Wa ...

(born 1950), writer and editor at the

American National Biography The ''American National Biography'' (ANB) is a 24-volume biographical encyclopedia set that contains about 17,400 entries and 20 million words, first published in 1999 by Oxford University Press under the auspices of the American Council of Le ...

National Register of Historic Places

Sites of interest

Hopkinton Historical Society

First Congregational Church of Hopkinton

Contoocook Depot and Restored Pullman Passenger Coach
*

* Rowell's Covered Bridge * Perkins Manor * Howe-Quimby House * Stanley Tavern *

St. Methodios Faith and Heritage Center The St. Methodios Faith and Heritage Center is a camp run by the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston and located in the town of Hopkinton, New Hampshire near the village of Contoocook. The site occupies the former village of Cloughville and had ...

* Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail

References

External links

*
Hopkinton & Contoocook Visitor Center

Hopkinton Town Library

Hopkinton State Fair

{{authority control Towns in Merrimack County, New Hampshire Populated places established in 1765 1765 establishments in New Hampshire Towns in New Hampshire