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Hopkinton is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,914 at the 2020 census.[1] 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, adjacent to Contoocook village, and to the historic Contoocook Railroad Depot and the Contoocook Railroad Bridge, the oldest covered railroad bridge in the United States.[2] [edit] History
The town was granted by colonial Governor Jonathan Belcher in 1735 as "Number 5" to settlers from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, 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, 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. Since 1823, the town has been within Merrimack County.
Since 1915, Hopkinton has been home to the Hopkinton State Fair, an event which attracts thousands of visitors each year during the Labor Day weekend. [edit] Research Tips
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