History

History of an historic park at 53 River Street

March 28, 2026
The historic park at 53 River Street, along Fort Pond Brook, will open this year. The decade-long story of its creation involves a number of monkey wrenches. At a special town meeting in October 2016, the Town of Acton acquired the 7-acre site at 53 River Street. To figure out the best use for the site, the Town held input sessions, where residents could hear about alternatives from housing to recreation, and express their preferences. The Select Board created the 53 River Street Master Plan Special Committee (Committee) to review the feedback. In the fall of 2018, with recommendations from…

Amity returns to Massachusetts

March 28, 2026
When British soldiers evacuated Boston in March 1776, hundreds of Massachusetts Loyalists fled to Nova Scotia or New Brunswick, Canada. With the 1783 Treaty of Paris ending the Revolutionary War, Loyalists who had remained in the states, as well as those who had relocated, found themselves wishing to…

The plight of Massachusetts Loyalists

March 21, 2026
It’s been said that history is written by the victors, so it’s not surprising that the story of Loyalists to the Crown who lived in the American colonies is not as widely known as that of the Revolutionary War’s victors. Loyalists suffered not only their Patriot neighbors’ scorn;…

Acton fife and drummers join Roxbury 250 commemoration

March 14, 2026
On Saturday, March 7, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s office hosted “The 250th Anniversary of Henry Knox and Roxbury’s Legacy of Liberty.” Acton area re-enactors and musicians participated. The Sudbury Ancient Fyfe and Drum Companie, including two members from Acton, Stephanie Smoot and Dale Wilson, joined the traditional horse…

Old church to get new steeple

February 28, 2026
A historically significant repair project is set to begin this spring in West Acton. The church at 592 Massachusetts Avenue is located within the West Acton Village Historic District and stands as the village’s oldest active church. The original West Acton Baptist Church, built in 1846, was destroyed…

Friends of Pine Hawk takes a field trip to Hockomock Swamp

November 22, 2025
On a bright and clear All Saints Day, more than a dozen hikers joined former town conservation staffer Bettina Abe and historian Dan Boudillion, author of “History of the Nashobah Praying Indians: Doings, Sufferings, Survival, and Triumph,” for a hike through the Hockomock Swamp Wildlife Management Area (WMA)…
A man wearing a green polo shirt stands in front of a screen at the Acton Memorial Library. The screen shows a picture of the Edwards house from many years ago.

A fresh look at an old Acton home

June 21, 2024
Monday evening, June 9th brought MIT Professor and Acton resident, David Hardt, to the Acton 250 Committee with a highly detailed and engrossing look into the ownership, construction, and history of one of Acton’s oldest homes. The Edwards house, located at 328 Pope Road on the Concord border,…
A Revolutionary-era white house with a center chimney. The main house is set on a hill and an ell on the left side has a small door that opens at a lower level.

1770s South Acton houses open on Sunday

May 24, 2024
On Sunday, May 26, the Iron Work Farm begins the 2024 season of regular open houses at their two South Acton house museums. The open houses comprise the first installment of the Acton 250th celebration of homes of the 1770s entitled, “Still Here: Houses of Our Patriots.” The…
Program from the Modern Women in Acton’s History Month event

Acton Women Honored for Women’s History Month

April 12, 2024
On Wednesday, March 20th, a Women’s History Month Celebration took place at the Acton Memorial Library to honor women who have played significant roles in shaping Acton’s contemporary history. Host Ann Chang greeted a packed audience, both in-person and online, to recognize the remarkable contributions of women who…
Photo of Acton 250 presentation and presentors.

A Revolution in the News with Historian Joseph Adelman

February 7, 2024
Looking forward to next year’s 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution, the Acton 250 Committee is hosting  a series of lectures by historians, looking back at what the community was like when our nation was born. The third lecture in the series, by Professor Joseph…
Original front entrance to the Acton Memorial Libray, the older brick building part.

A Historical Walk in Acton’s Center

January 17, 2024
The Acton 250 Committee organized its third community event on December 17, a historical walk through the heart of Acton Center. Amy Cole, a local tour guide, historian, and Acton resident, led the walk that explored significant landmarks and shared the rich history embedded in the town center…

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