Hopewell. <1> City (2020 pop. 1,922), Mercer co., central N.J.; inc. 1891. The area was settled in the early 1700s. One early resident, mill owner John Hart, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. A center of lumber mills in the mid-to-late 18th century, the town enjoyed further growth when the railroad reached the area in the 1870s. It is now a bedroom community. <2> City (2020 pop. 23,033), within Prince George co. but independent, at the confluence of the James and Appomattox rivers, SE Va.; founded 1913, inc. 1916. Hopewell is a deepwater port and an industrial center where chemicals, polyester fibers, and paper products are manufactured. The city was founded as a munitions center. In 1926, Hopewell absorbed contiguous City Point, General U.S. Grant's base of operations in 1864–65, now part of Petersburg National Battlefield. Fort Lee is nearby.
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