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Select Board names 53 River Street 'Shoddy Mill Park' with subtitle 'Historic South Acton' after wide community input
Summary
After a town survey with 364 responses, the Acton Select Board voted unanimously to name the new 53 River Street green 'Shoddy Mill Park' and to include an explanatory subtitle 'Historic South Acton'; four interpretive signs will explain the site's industrial history.
The Acton Select Board voted unanimously to name the newly completed green at 53 River Street “Shoddy Mill Park” and to include a subtitle, “Historic South Acton,” following a community survey that drew 364 responses.
Staff reported that 128 respondents selected “Shoddy Mill Park” (roughly 35% of votes) and 103 chose “Textile Mill Park.” Board members and staff described the choice as historically grounded: the site once hosted shoddy-textile operations that shaped the neighborhood’s development. The board also noted that four interpretive panels developed with the Historical Commission and a historical consultant will explain the site's history and the origin of the name.
Select Board members encouraged public curiosity about the name: one member said the label will prompt visitors to learn why the park is so named and that the interpretive signage will provide context. The town expects ribbon-cutting and additional landscaping in the coming months as final planting and entrance signage are installed.
