The Faulkner Homestead, Acton's oldest extant property, was built ca. 1707 by one of the town's first settlers, Ephriam Jones, atop a hill overlooking Fort Pond Brook. Ammi Faulkner acquired the property in 1742 and developed it into a farm, and it remained in the Faulkner family through 1940. The last Faulkner family owner, Sophia Faulkner Campbell, transformed the house and land into a summer retreat. In 1968/1969, a non-profit organization, The Ironwork Farm in Acton, Inc. purchased the house and six acres to be used for educational purposes.
In 2009, Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture, LLC collaborated with Red Hawk Studio Architects, Inc. and Agricola Corporation to prepare a master plan for the house and surrounding property. The project included researching and documenting the site's history, assessing its existing conditions, and preparing a schematic design for its future use as a museum of early Acton history. Site features included a re-located entry drive, a 14-car parking area (tucked into the former barn foundation), a drop off for school busses, a reconstructed apple orchard, and footpaths, leading to all parts of the historic farm property.
In 2009, Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture, LLC collaborated with Red Hawk Studio Architects, Inc. and Agricola Corporation to prepare a master plan for the house and surrounding property. The project included researching and documenting the site's history, assessing its existing conditions, and preparing a schematic design for its future use as a museum of early Acton history. Site features included a re-located entry drive, a 14-car parking area (tucked into the former barn foundation), a drop off for school busses, a reconstructed apple orchard, and footpaths, leading to all parts of the historic farm property.