Pearl of the Pike
Fondly called "The Pearl of the Pike," the village of Hopwood is a wonderful example of the quintessential charm and quaintness that helped form the area, as settlers and adventurers discovered and settled the Fay-West.
With a permanent population of 1,952 residents, Hopwood is home to many families who have lived there for generations. Residents enjoy the closeness and camaraderie.
"I love the people here and the closeness of the village," said Hopwood resident Jim Tobal. "You know everyone and everyone knows you. You go into a business and you know the people that are there and you know the people that wait on you."
Known as the village with three names, Hopwood's name may have changed, but the lovely tranquility of the small town has remained constant.
Hopwood was founded by John Hopwood of Virginia, who was neighbors and friends with George Washington, serving as the general's civilian aide-de-camp during the Revolutionary War. It is reputed that since Washington had purchased 1,600 acres in Perryopolis, he talked his friend Hopwood into coming to the lush and fertile area at the foot of the Appalachians.
After the war, Hopwood sold his plantation, which was called "Woodstock," freed his slaves and came to the area, purchasing several large tracts of land in and around present-day Hopwood. Hopwood recorded a town plan at the courthouse in nearby Uniontown on Nov. 8, 1791, drawing up a rather unique set of 400 level lots, each sectioned into one-half acre. He designed the village town with wide, straight roads and offered the new lots to settlers at a payment installation option, not completely unheard of then, but very uncommon.
New residents had 10 years to pay off the lots, with the stipulation that a dwelling had to be erected on the site within five years of purchase. Hopwood offered new residents all the free stone and timber they needed to construct their new homes. He dubbed the town "Woodstock."
Beautiful stone homes and businesses soon lined the streets. When the National Road or "Old Pike" was completed in 1811, it brought with it an abundance of travelers who stayed or stopped in the town, which was the last destination before the trek over the mountains.
The village was renamed "Monroe" in 1816 after President James Monroe stayed at the Moses Hopwood House. However, when it was discovered in 1881 that another town of Monroe already existed in the Commonwealth, it was renamed Hopwood after its founding father.
In 1850, local politicians pulled a "coup de grace" -- they decided Union Township, which surrounded Uniontown, was too big, and divided the township and the village itself, drawing the boundary lines of North and South Union townships down the middle of the Old Pike or modern day Route 40.
When the village received its final moniker in 1881, the dividing lines were too well entrenched to allow the citizens to incorporate into a borough or municipality, so Hopwood remains the largest unincorporated town in Fayette County to this day.
Enjoying the wealth within the village and from the travelers who frequented it, Hopwood thrived.
Hopwood Speedway, a solid, wooden 11/8-mile track, was built right outside of town, and from 1916-1924, the track, reputed to be second only to the famous Indianapolis track, enjoyed fame brought by the thousands who visited the facility.
Busy Route 40 brought much traffic to Hopwood over the years, but construction of the bypass raised some concerns among residents.
"The bypass took a lot of the traffic out and there was a bit of concern," Tobal said of the 70-plus businesses. "It did divert a lot of the traffic away, but it hasn't hurt. The businesses in Hopwood seem to be thriving."
In 1999, a group of Hopwood residents devised the Hopwood Village Project, geared toward bringing Old World splendor back to the town.
"The plan was to A, beautify the town, and B, turn the clocks back," Tobal said. "We put in period lampposts and period sidewalks. We want this to be a place where people would want to live and people would want to visit."
The Hopwood Village Project is also made up of several subcommittees that host Light-Up Night, the Hopwood Parade, Hopwood Fishing Derby (held during National Pike Day) and Hopwood Homecoming. Also, Hopwood now sports new benches and a parklet at the far end of the village, made possible by donations and sponsors who worked through the Hopwood Village Project.
The Hopwood Village Project is joined annually by a group of Laurel Highlands High School seniors who perform community service within the village.
Present-day Hopwood features walking tours where visitors can pick up brochures that will outline and highlight a one-mile walk through the village, pointing out areas and sites of interest. Hopwood has four houses listed on the National Register of Historic Places and three more being considered.
"It's a nice community with an ambience unmatched in the area," said Hopwood Village Project secretary Elaine Frantz. "The grandeur of the mountains rising above the rich cluster of homes and buildings along Route 40 is awesome."
Annual events include the seasonal Light-up Night, presentation of flags for Flag Day at the AMVETS Post 103, and the Hopwood Homecoming, where past and present Hopwood residents gather for a day of fun.
"An annual highlight of the community is the National Pike Day festival in May," Frantz said. "The village celebrates with the crowning of a king and queen, a parade, a fishing derby and an old-time baseball game. Come and join us and enjoy the beautiful village of Hopwood."
