Hopkinton News : history

Hopkinton's Harold Martin School celebrates 50 years

Bow Editor — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:29:00 GMT

Harold Martin School teachers, students and faculty admittedly like to celebrate, and they recently had 50 reasons.

To kick off the Hopkinton school’s 50th anniversary, school officials held festivities on Monday, Sept. 15, giving students a chance to meet some special guests. Among them were former faculty members.

“I love Harold Martin School,” said Gov. John Lynch, a resident in town and whose children attended the school. “This is a school that not only teaches you the skills in (class), but also a love for learning that will stay with you for the rest of your life.”

Students played an important part in the ceremonies as students performed a song and the Hopkinton High School jazz band played a tune.

Two school employees whose faces can be seen on a daily basis are Patty Raymond and Peg Hill, who work in the cafeteria.

Raymond has worked at the school for 25 years and Hill for 15, but the pair first got to know each other years before they became co-workers. Both Hill and Raymond were first-grade students during the opening year of Harold Martin in 1958.

“Until they started getting the celebration ready, it never really hit you,” said Hill. “It’s been a long time, and to think we really have come full circle is exciting.”

Knowing each other so well helps keep work entertaining, and Raymond said they found the ideal spot to work.

“We have a good time and there’s a lot of laughing. It’s a wonderful atmosphere,” said Raymond. “We couldn’t ask for a better building to work in, and we really are all a family around here.”

Harold Martin School Principal Bill Carozza is entering his ninth year at the helm, and one of his biggest wishes heading into the event came true.

“I’m just glad there’s good weather,” he said. “It’s great to have past teachers and administrators here to give the kids the chance to see how important history is.”

Carozza also said the school plays an integral part in the Hopkinton community.

“In a small community, schools tend to be the center of things,” he said. “Schools truly run much better when the community is involved, and that is certainly the case here.”

Malcom Merrill, former principal of Harold Martin, spoke about how much things have changed since he was in the school when it had only six classrooms and one telephone.

“We had no computer lab. I saw your computers, and wow,” he joked.

Merrill also talked about the pride he holds for his former school, and said he knows current students at Harold Martin will feel the same way as they grow older.

“I know how proud you are of this school; you’d have to be crazy not to be,” he said. “We were just as proud of our little school when I was here.”

Gov. Lynch also told students of the memories they will have.

“Harold Martin is a family, and I was proud to be a part of it. You’ll look back as you grow up and have the same love for this school one day,” said Lynch. “I think this school reflects all that is so good about the education system in New Hampshire.”

Hopkinton Antiquarian Society brings past to life and prepares for future

Bow Editor — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:43:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

On Interstate 89, drivers zoom by with cellular phones, GPS navigators and DVD players installed in their cars.

Less than a minute off that highway sits a building where things are a little different.

The New Hampshire Antiquarian Society in Hopkinton houses pieces of the town’s history, and has done so for nearly 150 years in its red brick building on Main Street.

Three Hopkinton residents founded the Antiquarian Society in 1859 as the Philomathic Club, designed to discuss literature before the organization was given its current name in 1875.

“I think it’s very important to keep the history of the town. It gives a sense of community – where it’s been in the past and where it’s going in the future,” said Antiquarian Society Director Heather Mitchell.

Mitchell, who served as assistant for a year and a half before taking over as director, said she likes the fluid nature of historical preservation.

“I live in Hopkinton and really have an interest in things related to its history,” she said. “I really like that we’re always learning new things about Hopkinton through pieces and programs. It’s great to hear peoples’ memories of when they lived in town.”

The feel of the community is something Mitchell enjoys, and something, she said, has remained the same throughout history.

“I think my favorite part of Hopkinton is the rural character, and the sense of community that brings people together. There’s a feeling of a small town,” she said. “In some ways, Hopkinton is different and some ways, it’s not. It has a rural feel and that’s why people love it whether they were born here or not.”

Inside the New Hampshire Antiquarian Society is a variety of artifacts, including historical clothing, portraits of prominent families in the town’s history, and an old shoebox folder that was used at a factory near the river.

Collecting artifacts doesn’t only include digging into the past, as one of the portraits on the wall is of Gould Hill Orchard as it is today, since Mitchell knows with the sale of the property it may not be the same in the future.

“We’re not just collecting historical pieces. It’s an ongoing effort for what will be tomorrow’s history,” said Mitchell. “People want to see where their lives fit and what’s happened in the past.”

One aspect of the Antiquarian Society that has changed over time is the use of technology, as Mitchell and her staff are in the process of cataloguing every artifact in the building so they can easily access information on the computer.

“It makes everything more accessible. We have a wonderful collection but if you can’t find what you want, it’s difficult to share with others,” she said. Mitchell invites everyone to visit the musuem and consider becoming a member.

The museum is taking part in a statewide competition where the museum or historical society that has the largest increase in membership through the end of October will earn $25,000. For details on the Society and the membership contest, visit www.nhantiquarian.org.

A strong foundation – First Congregational Church of Hopkinton celebrates its 250th anniversary

Bow Editor — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:08:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Looking down from the choir balcony in Hopkinton’s First Congregational Church, Ruth White recalls the many changes that have taken place over the years, from the paint on the walls to the chandelier, and to friends who have come and gone.

A lot is different then it was when White became a member of the church in the late 1950s.

“It’s been a total change since I joined because the church was going through a transition. It was a period when the attendance was so minimal sometimes there would only be 13,” she said. “The interior of the church also used to be very sad. It hadn’t been tended to. The old saying, bats in the belfry -- we had them. Through the years, the congregation has been renovated and it’s absolutely beautiful.”

In November the church is wrapping up yearlong celebrations of its 250th anniversary. Over the last several weeks, the congregation has had members dress up in costumes to represent different time periods.

“It’s been exciting because it takes us back and honors our past members as well. Historically, it’s been so educational as well, which is exciting. The young people have been involved as well too,” said White.

One group who has been involved with the church since 1986 is Bill Hill and his family. In 1993, Hill’s wife passed away and he found a group of people to turn to in the congregation.

“The church was very helpful in getting me through that and helping us deal with a very difficult time. It was a lifesaver and incredibly important. Having that foundation to lean on and help me through was critical,” said Hill. “It’s important that the family do things together. Church is an important thing for the kids as well as adults to take part in.”

Hill has continued to be involved with the church by singing in the choir. His son, Sam, has also been involved with the anniversary by dressing up each week in the costumes of the different time periods.

In his 21 years with the church, Hill said he has seen many changes as well.

“I don’t know the exact numbers, but the church has grown a lot with families since I was there. If you were in the church any given Sunday and the kids leave for Sunday school, at least half of the membership is gone when they leave. It’s a very youthful church,” he said.

Currently, the church has an organ that was restored, an upgraded chandelier that is far different from the one that used to hang only feet over church-members’ heads, plus a variety of other upgrades in the church’s interior.

White, however, remembers when the church wasn’t as visually pleasing.

“We used to wear spiked heels that would catch on the carpet. You took your life in your hands,” she said. “We had huge black robes and there was a hot-air furnace that if you walked across blew you up like a balloon. We had some lighter moments and some difficult times with funding, but it was all taken care of over the years. It’s been a wonderful family home for many.”

Despite all the changes in the church since she became a member 50 years ago, White’s favorite part remains the same.

“The fellowship of the church has always been amazing. We have so many warm, loving people in our church,” she said.

History comes to life at Hopkinton celebration

Bow Editor — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 20:09:00 GMT

BY KEVIN SHALVEY

It might be an understatement to refer to Goffstown’s Ben and Jane Hampton as “patriotic” Americans.

Both have traced their roots back to Revolutionary War soldiers, visited all but one of the major Civil War battlefields and, on Thursday, July 4, the two were asked to make a presentation at Hopkinton’s celebration of the United States’ Independence Day.

The history presentations stem from the couple’s passion for their personal history, but Ben is also a retired Massachusetts high school history teacher and now lectures on history and politics at New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord. Within the past year, Ben has given presentations via video to schools in New Hampshire and New Jersey, and he’s traveled to Virginia for a high school and middle school presentation.

During their presentations -- largely about New Hampshire’s role in the war -- the Hamptons wear authentic recreations of 18th-century garb.

The clothes, which people wore during the day and then to bed without bathing or changing, draw a usual response from children, said Jane.

“Most of the kids say, ‘Ewww,’” she said.

One tidbit the Hamptons might share at their presentation is the military prowess of New Hampshire’s John Stark.

“He developed the idea or the procedure of keeping almost-rapid musket fire,” Ben said.

The muskets, which were about 5 feet long and had 18-inch bayonets, were hard to handle and inaccurate because of misshapen musket balls, he said.

“It might go left, it might go right, it might go up, it might go down. They weren’t accurate,” Ben said.

So during the Revolutionary War battle of Breed’s Hill, in Massachusetts, Stark marched out about 40 yards from his troops and planted stakes. He told his troops to not fire until the British advanced that far. Then he told his troops to form lines that would fire one after another, while each took the time to reload -- a 13-step process for their muskets.

“Stark’s reputation as a military man, a good fighter and a military leader spread,” said Ben.

The Hamptons are two of more than 1,000 New Hampshire residents that come from Revolutionary War families.

Ben is a member of -- and historian for -- the New Hampshire Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, while Jane is a member of its sister group, the Daughters of the American Revolution.
To join the group, applicants must show genealogical proof of their ancestors. Visit www.nhssar.org for more information.