Library Tablet
Location: On Public Library, 13 Main Street, Hopkinton
Coordinates: 42°13’43.6″N 71°31’11.0″W
Date dedicated: January 1, 1895
Manufacturer/designer: Unknown. Library architect: H. P. Cummings of Ware
Number of names: 54 who died in the war

The Hopkinton Public Library, built in 1895, is not a memorial itself but the town did incorporate a large, bronze memorial tablet in the original design. It is mounted in the exterior vestibule and dedicated to those from Hopkinton who died in the war. The primary inscription on the tablet reads, “The sons and daughters of Hopkinton, who have built this public library, place therein this tablet in grateful remembrance of those sons of Hopkinton whose names are inscribed who died in the service of the country in that war which destroyed slavery and preserved the Union.”

Hopkinton sent 409 men to war. Of these, 26 were killed in action, 13 died from wounds, and 37 died from disease.[1]

Hopkinton Cemetery Monument
Location: 24 Mayhew Street, Hopkinton
Coordinates: 42°13’46.8″N 71°31’43.0″W
Date dedicated: 1892
Manufacturer/designer: Monumental Bronze Company

This monument, paid for through public subscriptions, stands on a plot donated by Abram Crooks of Hopkinton. He was a wealthy boot manufacturer (once the major industry in Hopkinton) and a generous contributor to numerous local projects.

The Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut manufactured the monument. Their distinctive zinc or “white bronze” statues were popular for their affordability. The company was one of the largest manufacturers of Civil War monuments in the country at that time. The statue, known as the “Infantryman,” appears in many a town square. At least nine examples have been identified in Massachusetts including those in Belchertown, Pembroke, Gloucester, Hardwick, Brookfield, Marion, and other towns.

Information regarding the dedication of this particular monument is scarce. It was not unusual for the ceremonies related to monuments in cemeteries (particularly those marking veterans’ burial plots) to be more understated affairs.

[1] Tom A.C. Ellis, Hopkinton’s Civil War Service