Mendon / Upton / Hopedale
Mendon
Mendon today, in many ways, resembles Mendon of the past. The hilltop farms of Mendon fed the workers in the mill villages of neighboring towns. Today, houses have grown up on many of those pastures, but Mendon is still imbued with a small town spirit.
Self-guided tour for Mendon, MA: Mendon Walking Tour Brochure (PDF)
Mendon Center
Mendon Center is a classic example of a 19th century New England farming community. Main Street is anchored by the churches and town buildings and lined with small shops and former taverns that tell of the days when farmers would come here to sell their produce, and weary travelers, on route from Boston, Providence or Worcester, would rest.
Read more about Mendon Center: Mendon Walking Tour Brochure (PDF)
Hopedale
The story of Hopedale is unique. What started as a religious commune developed into a prime example of a factory town. Even as the Draper Corporation became the world’s largest producer of looms, Hopedale still maintained much of its original community spirit.
Self-guided walking tour for Hopedale, MA: Hopedale Walking Tour Brochure (PDF)
Little Red Shop
Ebenezer Draper started working in his “Little Red Shop” in 1841, producing parts for looms and other products. His entrepreneurial brother, George, took this small shop in a new direction, creating the massive Draper Loom Corporation, the largest manufacturer of looms in the world. The massive Draper Corporation Mill stands across the street.
Read more about Little Red Shop: littleredshopmuseum.org
Hopedale Village
Hopedale was one of the most successful communal experiments of the era, but failed after fifteen years. The village was taken over by the Draper brothers, who used the community as the base for their new mill village that produced looms. Even as Draper went on to become the leading manufacturer of looms, Hopedale was still guided by many of the community’s original principles.
Read more about Hopedale Village: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopedale,_Massachusetts
The Parklands
The Draper family hired Warren Henry Manning, designer of Boston’s park system, to design a park around their millpond. Enjoy a stroll though this carefully planned woodland of over 1,000 acres – almost 1/3 of the entire town.
Read more about the Parklands: www.hope1842.com/parklandswalk1.html
Upton
With its proximity to Rt. 495, Upton is slowly being drawn into the Boston Metropolitan area. What attracts new residents to Upton, though, are its classic New England small town features – a delightful Main Street and common, surrounded by large amounts of open space open for recreation.
Self-guided tour for Upton, MA: Upton Walking Tour Brochure (PDF)
Upton State Forest
This 2660 acre forest offers visitors a natural diversity of flora and fauna accented with historically significant contributions of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Trail users can enjoy numerous recreational opportunities. The park is a mix of upland forest and wet habitats (swamp, stream, pond, and seasonal wetlands).
Read more about Upton State Forest: