Cannon on the Acton Town Common

Location: Acton Town Common, across from Town Hall, on either side of the Davis Monument

Two surplus Civil War cannon were procured by the town of Acton to serve as a war memorial.  The Concord Enterprise (June 14, 1900, page 8) reported that a group of interested citizens had been informed that the secretary of the navy, Hon. John D. Long had authorized the bureau of ordinances to loan the town of Acton two cannons.  They were installed in about 1901; the costs of the stone bases (supplied by David C. Harris) and of teaming them to the common (paid to W. H. Kingsley) were reported in Acton's 1901-1902 town report (page 33).  In addition, a newspaper article (Concord Enterprise, May 28, 1902, page 8) reported that Nelson Tenney had designed mounts for the cannon and had mounted them.

The foundry markings indicate that they were 30-pounder guns, one produced in 1863 and the other in 1864.  They are marked RPP, presumably initials of Robert Parker Parrott, 1804-1877, whose gun designs were commonly used during the Civil War. 

For further information about the placing of the cannon and a discussion of incorrect statements that the cannon were from the War of 1812, see our blog post.  The cannon were discussed in Phalen's History of the Town of Acton (p. 283-284).