The Acton Historical Society works to discover, preserve and share facts and artifacts from the rich history of Acton, Massachusetts with the hope of spreading enthusiasm for and knowledge of our town.  Come visit us or contact us to share your own stories of Acton and its people.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Upcoming Events

Holiday Mini-Fair
Saturday Dec. 7,  10 am - 1 pm.  (Snow Date Dec. 14)
Acton Memorial Library
Basket of Gifts
Come and join us at this year's mini-fair and get in some holiday shopping as you look over the tables filled with various gifts. 

Acton Historical Society will be selling:
  • Mugs with scenes of old Acton
  • goat's milk soap
  • books on Acton history
  • Acton magnets, tea towels, tiles
  • Acton Christmas ornaments
  • Acton postcards

Shop early for the best selection!
Acton Historical Society Members - This One's For You

Members-Only Holiday Party
December 1
See Details on our Events page.
New members welcome - please join the Society and join the fun on December 1.

We have Parking!

After a summer of landscape renovation, we are delighted to report that we now have the use of an expanded parking lot at 300 Main Street, home of our Hosmer House Museum, Jenks Library and associated buildings.  Thanks are due to the voters of the town of Acton for their support of this project.

For a slideshow of the project in process as well as other work on the Hosmer House, click here.

On Our Blog

Our most recent blog post tells the story of Aaron Woods, an Acton hermit and supposed miser who became the subject of national news interest twice in the 1870s.  Another recent post displays newly discovered pictures of West Acton and its barrel shop before and after the fire of 1913.  An earlier post discussed John Fletcher, his boot and shoe business, his advocacy for temperance and against slavery, and the large impact he had on Acton, particularly the town center.  In May, the blog discussed Henry Barker and his cider mill, a topic inspired by trying to identify a large portrait found in a South Acton barn. 

Another recent blog post showcased a collection of photos of workers from Hall Brothers' wooden ware company as well as pictures that apparently came from a branch of the Beach family.

February's blog post discussed Francis Skinner (1797-1865) who grew up in Acton and went off to live a very different life in Boston.  Our interest in the Skinner family is explained in a blog post about our acquisition of an 1834 letter written about Sarah (Faulkner) Skinner who went blind in her later years.  We were able to uncover a surprising amount about her and her family.

In 2018, we explored dances in Acton, the New England Sawmill Unit, Acton baseball, schoolhouse construction and maintenance in the town's earlier days, the house that sits where Isaac Davis's home once stood,  ice harvesting, and the stories of Acton residents Clara (Hapgood) Nash, Daniel Scarlett, John Oliver, and Rev. James T. Woodbury.

There's plenty to discover on the blog; check it out!