The Hopkinton Historical Society was founded as The Philomathic Club by three Hopkinton residents in 1859 as a literary discussion group. It was incorporated as the New Hampshire Antiquarian Society in 1875, and adopted the “doing business as” name of Hopkinton Historical Society in 2009 to better reflect the Society’s mission to collect, preserve, exhibit, and inform the public of the unique history of the Town of Hopkinton. The Society's collection of music scores, journals, diaries, books, maps, and artifacts is housed in The William H. Long Memorial Building, a gift to the Society in 1890. The Long Building is included on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Society provides the greater Hopkinton community with:

• exhibits, programs, lectures, tours related to local and state history
  
• projects for children
  
• school tours
  
• special events such as the popular art show
  
• publications of local and state interest
  
• a library for historical and genealogical research