Stop 4: The Parklands

Photograph from newspaper depicting Hopedale Pond with the Little Red Shop Museum and Draper complex in background

When the early Hopedale residents came to this area to start their commune, they almost immediately started planting trees. Creating a healthy, green landscape was important to them. As Hopedale became a company town, the leaders within the community started to think differently about open space. Nothing would be left to chance.

From the Little Red Shop, you can see the Hopedale Parklands, a 200+ acre public park with trails and views of the Hopedale Pond. The Drapers hired an architect to create a plan for more housing and this recreational area. Warren Henry Manning, who had helped develop Boston's regional park system, designed this public park to encircle the pond. Right up to the present, the Hopedale Parklands contain miles of maintained trails, an old bathhouse, and plenty of trees.

In the late 1800s, most people in Hopedale had a connection to the Draper Co. If they did not work for the company, they likely sought recreation or respite from the Draper-funded Parklands located in Hopedale. Field days and other events served to further bind the community together.

 

Spectators watching boat race on Hopedale Pond

 

Tour Stops:

Introduction
1 Adin Ballou Park
2 Factory Site
3 Little Red Shop
5 Dutcher Street Company Housing
6 Unitarian Church and Town Hall
7 Bancroft Memorial Library