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.

We are Under Construction!

The campus at 300 Main Street, home of our Hosmer House Museum and associated buildings, is undergoing a renovation of its landscape.  Thanks are due to the voters of the town of Acton for their support of this project.

Jenks Library is open for its normal Monday and Wednesday hours, but  parking on the property is limited for the moment.  Events and exhibits on site will be delayed until work is done. 

We look forward to sharing with you our newly opened-up landscape, much more representative of the time when the home was the site of a working farm.  Stay tuned.

On Our Blog

Our most recent blog post discusses 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.  Given its size and artistic touches, we think it must have been someone with resources; we are hoping someone knows who he is.

Another recent blog post showcases 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 discusses 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!

World War 1 Exhibit


Thank you to all who visited the Society's World War 1 exhibit and to all the members who worked to prepare for and host it.  Some of the photographs displayed can be seen in our online exhibit, or visit Jenks Library to see our entire collection of World War 1 photographs.