Local historian and man about town Scott Brooks of Vintage Acton plans to deepen people’s appreciation for Prospect Park.
On Sunday, June 23, he will be welcoming history enthusiasts from far and wide to attend his free lecture about the park and its accompanying Fairy Lake. Called The Lake, The Park & Other Things, attendees will get to learn some of the stories about the local natural feature, especially its origins.
“Originally, it wasn't even meant to be a park. It was actually supposed to be a housing development,” Brooks said in teasing a small portion of his talking points. “By the late 1880s, the village of Acton negotiated with the proper property owner to make it a public park.”
The lecture will begin at 7 p.m. at the bandshell on the far end of the peninsula jutting out into Fairy Lake. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs as the talk will be about an hour long.
Brooks, among other things, is known for conducting historical walking tours about Acton. This is his first time doing a dedicated lecture about the subject. He has spoken about Prospect Park in other presentations, but the lecture will be more in-depth by comparison.
“Being a historian, I've come across little bits and pieces [of information], and so eventually I decided, let's just put something together that I can use in a presentation of its own,” Brooks noted.
“The park itself and the lake are very much part of Acton's history, and they're a big focal point. But for whatever reason, I never gave them their own presentation until the idea came up this year,” he added.
The event is being sponsored by the Acton BIA as the bandshell is within its area of responsibility.
"We see this lecture event as an opportunity to bring the community together for an evening of education and exploration of our local history," BIA Coordinator Matthew Galliford HaltonHillsToday in an emailed statement. "Acton has a rich history that many residents are unaware of and we anticipate that this event will inform and spark curiosity in individuals to want to know more about where we live, play and work."
The lecture is weather permitting, so Brooks encourages potential attendees to stay updated by following Vintage Acton’s Facebook page. There, those interested can also find more information about this and other events, as well as a page to RSVP on.
