History Behind the 'Junction' in Hopewell Junction

Hopewell Junction was once simply called Hopewell and the name change has got something to do with its status as a former major railroad hub in the area.

Railroads were an integral part of the growth of the Hudson Valley. Two important railroad lines met in Hopewell but one almost wasn't completed because the company constructing it went bankrupt.

Conductor Bernie Rudberg of the Hopewell Rail Depot tells the story below of the first railroad through the area. That railroad was called the Dutchess and Columbia line. A second line coming from Worchester, Massachusetts was meant to connect to the first but sat uncompleted for a decade. When it was finally completed, the connection was right in front of the present-day Hopewell Inn.

The Hopewell Depot train station was built in 1873 and was nearly destroyed by a fire in the 1980s. After which local residents formed the Hopewell Depot Restoration Corp with the intention of restoring the station and its surroundings to its original form.

Hopewell Junction is a hamlet within the town of East Fishkill. According to the town's website, East Fishkill covers around 53 square miles and has approximately 30,000 residents. Hopewell was actually the first settlement within the town of East Fishkill and was founded in 1757.

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