Editing Acton, Massachusetts (section)

==Geography==

[[File:Acton Massachusetts wetlands.jpg|thumb|left|[[Wetlands]] in Acton off of Massachusetts Avenue, in summer 2015]]
Acton is located at {{coord|42|29|N|71|27|W}}. According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|20.3|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|20.0|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.3|sqmi|km2}}, or 1.53 percent, is water. Almost all of Acton is forested, except for where it has been cleared for residential or agricultural use. Some forested areas have been put aside for special use by corporations.

The current geography of Acton was created when the last wave of [[glacier]]s retreated approximately ten thousand years ago. Acton has nine [[drumlin]]s—hills which are composed of glacial [[till]]. In addition, Wills Hole and Grassy Pond are [[kettle (landform)|kettle]] ponds which were formed in depressions in the till formed by large blocks of ice.

Acton has two primary stream systems: the Nashoba Brook system including the incoming streams Butter Brook, Wills Hole Brook and Conant Brook and the Fort Pond Brook system including the incoming streams Guggins Brook, Inch Brook, Grassy Pond Brook, Pratt's Brook and Coles Brook. Both stream systems empty into the [[Assabet River]], which passes briefly through the town at its southern corner. Nagog Pond in the north, forms Acton's border with the Town of Littleton and provides drinking water to the Town of Concord. A small artificial pond is at NARA Park in North Acton.
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===The five village centers===

While Acton Center has been the civic center of the town since the revolution, the four other village centers earned their nomenclature from the names of their corresponding railroad station.
*Acton Center is the civic center of the town and is the site of the [[town hall]], the main [[public library]] ([[Acton Memorial Library]]), a children's [[playground]], an [[obelisk]] monument commemorating Acton deaths in "[[Battles of Lexington and Concord|the Concord Fight]]" of the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]], a fire station, the [[Acton Congregational Church]], a {{convert|64|acre|m2|adj=on}} [[arboretum]] and [[conservation area]], and the former [[post office]]. The modern post office and the [[police station]] are each located about one-half mile away in opposite directions along Main Street. Otherwise, Acton Center is generally a residential area.
*West Acton is an important commercial area of town, consisting of several commercial developments centered along Route 111. It developed in response to the growth of the [[Fitchburg Railroad]] in the 19th century. 
[[File:South Acton, Mass. (2674436396).jpg|thumb|[[Lithograph]] of South Acton from 1886 by [[L.R. Burleigh]] with list of landmarks]]
*South Acton used to be the most [[Industrialization|industrialized]] area of the town of Acton. In the 18th century, this area held many mills and other small industrial developments that used [[hydropower|water power]] generated by Fort Pond Brook. The area includes the Faulkner Homestead ('[[Faulkner House]]'), the oldest home still standing in Acton (dating back to 1707). The Faulkner Homestead was owned by the Faulkner family who also owned and ran a mill across the street. [[Jones Tavern]] is another still-standing revolutionary-era structure in South Acton that is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. The [[South Acton (MBTA station)]] is the only rail station on the Fitchburg line still active in Acton.
*East Acton was originally a small commercial area that grew up around the East Acton train station in the 19th century. With the advent of the automobile, and the demise of this branch of the railroad, East Acton became a largely residential area with a commercial base that is situated along the [[Massachusetts Route 2A|Route 2A]] corridor.
*North Acton has had major growth in the period since 1975–1980. With the growth of the Route 2A/[[Massachusetts Route 119|119]] corridor, North Acton has developed many commercial complexes and [[Condominium (living space)|condominium]] buildings. The Nathaniel Allen Recreation Area (also called NARA Park and originally North Acton Recreation Area)<ref>{{Cite news | url=http://www.wickedlocal.com/acton/news/x1081598066/Actons-NARA-Park-to-be-renamed-for-Civil-War-veteran | title=Acton's NARA Park to be renamed for Civil War veteran | first=Kathryn | last=Riley | date=June 21, 2012 | newspaper=Wicked Local Acton | access-date=September 24, 2012 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731133520/http://www.wickedlocal.com/acton/news/x1081598066/Actons-NARA-Park-to-be-renamed-for-Civil-War-veteran | archive-date=July 31, 2013 }}</ref> contains a small swimming pond, an open-air auditorium, playing fields, and paved walking trail. North Acton also includes the Village of Nagog Woods, a housing development accessible from Route 2A/119 which is large enough to merit its own [[ZIP code]]: 01718.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupResultsAction!input.action?resultMode=2&postalCode=01718|title=USPS.com® - ZIP Code™ Lookup|website=tools.usps.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102063652/https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupResultsAction!input.action?resultMode=2&postalCode=01718|archive-date=January 2, 2015}}</ref>

The current Master Plan for the town encourages development in the village centers in an attempt to prevent further [[urban sprawl|sprawl]] and preserve open space in the rest of the town.