A MA Christian Socialist Utopia Marks 180 Years This Week

HOPEDALE, MA — If you had to guess which Massachusetts town was founded by Christian socialist, anarchist utopia-seekers, what would you say? Cambridge, or maybe Northampton?

No, it's Hopedale. The present day town of about 6,000 squeezed between Mendon and Milford was founded in the 1840s by Unitarian minister Adin Ballou. He and his flock built a town that was pretty radical for then — and even now — with a sharing economy, (almost) equal rights between the sexes, and strictly opposed to slavery.

The utopian community only lasted a few years, with Hopedale eventually growing into a major manufacturing center, home of the Draper loom manufacturing company.

The National Parks Service will spotlight Hopedale's unique utopian history with two events this week.

On Wednesday, the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park will lead a walking tour around the pond in downtown Hopedale. The tour will include a stop at The Little Red Shop, where Draper began in the 1840s around the same time Ballou arrived.

On Thursday, the parks service will feature Hopedale in its series "Parked at Home," a multipart series exploring historical sites in the Blackstone River Valley. The event will mark 180 years since Ballou founded Hopedale.