The Hopedale Community (1841-1856) in Massachusetts attempted to integrate Christian Socialism with private 
enterprise in its attempt to live in a utopian society. Its failure occurred when utopian ideals fell victim to the power of two brothers.
The Hopedale Community Gets its Start
The Hopedale Community began in Milford, Mass., in a rural setting about 25 miles southeast of Boston. Adin Ballou (1803-1890). a clergyman born in Cumberland, R.I., led the community. Two years of planning for a utopian society, from 1839 to 1841, by Ballou and his followers led to the creation of “Fraternal Community No. 1,” subsequently designated “Hope Dale.”
Adin Ballou
After buying 258 acres of the former Jones farm along the Mill River on June 30, 1841, settlement began by October. By April 1842, 28 people had joined the community. They mainly consisted of farmers, carpenters, craftsmen, and small manufacturers who supported agricultural activity- along with their spouses and children. They had experienced the Panic (economic depression) of 1837, with its devastation on their livelihoods and a belief that capitalism was the source of economic and social inequality.
Before Jones farm was bought, the members had agreed on a constitution. The articles included : adherence to Christian principles; a socialist republic based on private property and equal wages for all; non-discrimination regarding age, color of skin, sex, or social class; sharing goods; education; choosing a vocation; owning property and other assets; marriage; free speech; and payment of taxes.
Just as important, it denounced bad behavior toward others; gambling; drunkenness; profanity; slavery; violence against individuals, groups, or governments; waging war ; poverty and governmental interference in its internal affairs.
Practical Christianity
The “Practical Christian” Community -– an effort to apply Christian principles to daily life — began as a joint stock company (i.e., members purchased shares). Profit from their economic activities would sustain them. Although early members lived in a single house, overcrowding led to the construction of private homes. Soon after settlement, they also began building a dam, various shops, a printing facility and a church for worship and education. By 1854 its 235 members lived in 41 houses and ran 16 businesses.
The Little Red Shop, Hopedale
Nevertheless, disagreements arose over time regarding rewards for individual initiative, compliance with moral norms, and a willingness to sacrifice for the welfare of the group. For example, the community had to deal with arguments over equal wages regardless of occupation, a “free love” scandal in 1852, and cooperatives that placed individual interests over those of the group. Despite these internal debates, the community endured until two brothers decided to withdraw their support.
The End to the Hopedale Community
Although founded as a joint stock company, Ebenezer and George Draper owned three-quarters of the investment. They grew upset in 1855 when a report of the treasurer showed industrial output had unexpectedly fallen. Additionally, building and machinery had depreciated and the 4 percent joint stock dividend would not be paid. They then threatened to withdraw their support, which would have resulted in bankruptcy. Consequently, the Drapers reached a settlement with the community in 1856. Under the agreement, they gained control of the industrial property and assumed the debts of the community. Thus, the industrial property became part of a privately-owned company controlled by the Drapers. In turn, the utopian community with its beliefs and practices came to an end.
The Draper brothers were determined to run the textile company in a paternalistic way. This meant providing the workers in the company town with housing and other amenities. Meanwhile, Adin Ballou remained in the area as a minister, an author of Christian books and local historian, until he died on Aug. 5, 1890, at the age of 87. In 1886 the Town of Hopedale was incorporated after separating from Milford.
From 1730 to 1860 eight other utopian communities were established in Massachusetts. With the exception of four Shaker communes, the Hopewell Community outlasted the Shaker Savoy settlement (1817-1825), Brook Farm (1841-1847), the Northampton Association (1842-1846) and Fruitlands (1843-1848).
Accomplishments
Over the 15 years of the Hopedale Community, it had many achievements. Despite internal squabbles, the willingness to compromise extended its lifespan. Pursuing their ideals, the members sheltered slaves, raised funds for the abolitionist movement and cared for those in need. The group also experimented with spiritualism, hydrotherapy, homeopathic cures and vegetarian diets. Finally, most of the women led traditional home-centered lives but enjoyed some rights generally not granted to those living outside the community. These included: owning property, voting, holding community offices, being compensated for nursing infants, being granted a divorce in limited cases and having opportunities for intellectual development.
Map of Hopedale, 1888
By the 1890s, the Draper enterprise had become the largest user of technology for making cloth in the U.S. In 1967, Rockwell International bought the company, which then neared bankruptcy. Thereafter, a combination of international competition, government regulation and rising energy costs led to its foundry closing in 1975. The Draper facility officially closed on Aug. 29, 1980.
Abandoned Draper factory in Hopedale.
Edward T. Howe, Ph.D., is Professor of Economics, Emeritus, at Siena College near Albany, N.Y.
Images: Hopedale map courtesy of the Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center Collection. Draper looms By Jack E. Boucher, HAER photographer, courtesy Library of Congress. Bible By NYC Wanderer (Kevin Eng) – originally posted to Flickr as Gutenberg Bible, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9914015.
