Acton Massachusetts is located in western Middlesex County, about twenty-one miles west/northwest of Boston. The town has an intriguing history. There were Native Americans in the area some 7,000 years ago. It was settled in 1639 and founded in 1735. Major areas of the town include the five village centers: Center, West, South, East and North Acton.
Acton: By the Numbers
Lattitude: 42.485 & Longitude: -71.433333
Population: 21,929
Area: 20.3 square miles
Zipcode: 01720
Median Household Income: $110,592
ACTON, WHERE TO GO & WHAT TO DO:
Where to go and what to see:
- Isaac Davis Monument, an obelisk commemorating the Revolutionary War in the center of town
- Hosmer House: Revolutionary-War era home
- Arboretum: a 65-acre conservation area in the heart of town with trails, picnic areas and gardens
- Discovery Museums: local museums that museums served over 172,000 local residents in 2014
- Lake Nagog: Recreation area with 170 acres of conserved land with trails
- Jones Tavern and the Faulkner House and Mills: Historic sites that are important to the settlement and development of the community
What to do:
- Patriot’s Day: Acton Minutemen March & Revolutionary-War Reenactments: April
- Winter Carnival
- Relay
- Family Campouts at NARA Park: Summer & Fall
- Beach Party
- Walden Shakespeare: Theatre in the Park
- Classical, Pop. Ethnic & Rock Concerts: June to August
- 4th of July Celebrations, Concert & Fireworks
- Monsterbash: Halloween celebration
Local Resources:
FAMOUS FOR OR KNOWN AS:
- Issac Davis, was the first officer to die in the American Revolution. Reverend James Trask Woodbury in 1851: “There can never be but one man who headed the first column of attack on the King’s troops in the Revolutionary War. And Isaac Davis was that man.” Historynet.com
- Setting for Robert Frost’s poem, The Vanishing Red
- One of the Best Places to Live in America: #11 on Money Magazine’s list of great small towns in the U.S.
- Steve Carell, grew up here
- Drew Houston, founder of Dropbox graduated from local school
LOCAL PHOTOS
Minutemen Photos:
These photographs are provided to us courtesy of the Acton Minutemen. Every year the group sponsors numerous events to commemorate the sacrifices of local men and women in the Revolutionary War. See more photos on their website. The parade photo features the minutemen and women marching in downtown Concord.
Ice Pond by Singlespeed Photography:
ACTON MASSACHUSETTS HOME PRICES:
ACTON WALKSCORE & LOCAL BUSINESS INFO
Hero Feature Photo Information: The library photo shown on the top of the page was taken on May 30, 2006. It is from Wikipedia and it is in the public domain. The photographer is not known.
Numbers Background Photo Copyright: pdreams / 123RF Stock Photo
The Fall Ice Pond photo is from Singlespeed Photography.