About
Situated on 25 acres of rolling hills, open fields, and sylvan woods, Hopedale Village Cemetery is a non-sectarian, not-for-profit cemetery located in the historic town of Hopedale, Massachusetts. Founded in 1847 by the Practical Christian members of a utopian religious community, the cemetery was redesigned in 1887 and holds a who’s who of Hopedale history including founder Adin Ballou and many of his followers.
Hopedale Village Cemetery is also the final resting place of industrialist George Draper, who started what would become the Draper Corporation, one of the largest manufacturers of automatic looms and textile equipment in the world. Many generations of the Draper family are buried here, including General William F. Draper, a hero of the American Civil War, and Eben S. Draper, who was governor of Massachusetts from 1909 to 1911.
Also interred in Hopedale Village Cemetery are other historically important Hopedale names including Dutcher, Bancroft, Northrop, Roper, Westcott, and Lapworth. Although many of these wealthy families built architect-designed mausoleums, HVC is also the final resting place of people from all walks of life who have called the town home.
Gravesites now cover about 10 of Hopedale Village Cemetery’s 25 acres, with plans for additional lots and columbaria in the future.
