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The Acre, Lowell

Intro

The Acre is a neighborhood in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Lowell and represents over 170 years of migrant diversity and culture. The Acre started out as a small camp for the Irish workers of the early 1800s and has now grown to a healthy neighborhood of residential housing, vibrant marketplaces, diverse cuisines, and much more.

History

19th Century

The Irish immigrants of Lowell played an influential role in the foundational beginning of the city. They began arriving in Lowell after an Irishman named Hugh Cummisky brought 30 Irish men from Charlestown to Lowell to help enlarge and build the Pawtucket Canal, mills, and shops. These men were only meant to work in Lowell temporarily and there was no intention of them living there. As a result, the mill owners did not provide housing to the Irish unlike the resident working Yankees that were there before them. But as the demand for more physical labor and construction grew the Irish started to not go back to Boston as much. This caused the Irish workers to begin forming their own community opposite of the corporate housing, quickly growing from weak shacks put together to proper streets, stores, organizations, and schools.

From the Portsmouth, N.H. Journal of 1831 gives a look at the early beginnings of The Acre:

“In the suburbs of Lowell, within a few rods of the canals, is a settlement, called by some, New Dublin, which occupies rather more than an acre of ground. It contains a population of not far from 500 Irish, who dwell in about 100 cabins, from 7 to 10 feet in height, built of slabs and rough boards; a fire-place made of stone, in one end, topped out with two or three flour barrels or lime casks. In a central situation is a school house, built in the same style as the dwelling-houses, turfed up to the eaves with a window in one end, and small holes in two sides for the admission of air and light. In this room are collected together perhaps 150 children.”

In the early days this community was made up of small areas of shacks known as Paddy Camps, the largest of which was given the name The Acre and this name stuck as the general term for the separated living area that most of the immigrants in Lowell inhabited.

By the early 1830s the Irish had already built their first church, St. Patrick’s Church.

Photo of St Patrick's Church from 2006

Throughout the 1840s and beyond, there was an influx of Irish immigrants to the United States, largely in part to the potato famine in Ireland. A large portion of these new immigrants came to Lowell in hopes of finding jobs surrounding the mills and connecting with the already well-established Irish community. For the next 50 years or so the Irish community faced many hardships in terms of prejudice, poverty, and more. But in the end, they survived all of it and came out as a leading factor in the success of Lowell. Still, many of the later generations of the original Irish immigrants began leaving The Acre in search of work elsewhere. This left openings in the city of Lowell for more immigrants to take their place. One of those groups in the late 1800s were the French-Canadians, who not only joined parts of The Acre but also created what they called “Les Petits Canada” (the small Canada), like the Irish did with their Paddy Camps.

20th Century

By the early 1900s The Acre was primarily occupied by the Irish and Greeks. The Greeks of which mainly came through Ellis Island in search of jobs, due to the bad economy back in Greece. And as a result, most of the Greek immigrants were males looking for money to send back home. Nevertheless, many Greek immigrants found themselves working in Lowell, and just like the Irish, created a community of their own often called “Greektown”, or “Acre-Acropolis”.

Lowell-born in 1917 and raised in the Acre, Nicholas Georgoulis recalled in a 1980 interview:

"Community was community. There wasn’t a soul in the entire Acre that a child growing up didn’t get to know. If you lived in the Acre they knew them, by name. If not by name, by sight and they could almost tell you exactly the house they lived in. But the people would walk down the street, and everyone was saying hello, and speaking nicely... That was a very nice neighborhood."

Holy Trinity Church located in Lowell, MA

During this time the Greeks also brought with them their religion, Greek Orthodox, and constructed the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity with assistance from the Washington-Acropolis society.

Following the Irish and Greek’s path there were more waves of immigrants coming to Lowell through the 1900s. Starting with the Portuguese, Jews, Russians, Polish and more, who came during the 1900s-1920s. But during the 1920s to 1950s it is important to note the impact of the 1924 Immigration Act which greatly reduced the number of immigrants coming into the US, and Lowell. This act not only created systems like immigration quotas and border patrol but banned immigration from certain countries like those in Asia. It was not until 1965 when the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 was passed that overturned the 1924 Immigration Act. This caused an influx of more new immigrants coming to Lowell following the cycle that was seen of the Irish, French Canadians, and Greeks. Lowell began seeing communities being formed from countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Colombia, and Puerto Rico. Some of which were damaged by war such as Vietnam or Laos. Still more and more immigrants came over the years, through the 80s and 90s, Lowell saw more from countries like Afghanistan, Ghana, Nigeria, and Caribbean countries.

At the turn of the 21st century efforts were put in place to attempt to reinvest into The Acre, creating new zoning that allowed construction of restaurants and other facilities, improvements to infrastructure, and much more. In addition, members of the community and organizations such as The Coalition for a Better Acre are continuing to beautify and improve the quality of life in The Acre.

Arts and Culture

Arts

Lowell as a city has several arts centers itself with some being located within The Acre. One of those is the Western Avenue Studio and Lofts which is an industrial 5 floor space that hosts open artists’ studios, vendors, and classes (such as the Refuge Art School). Another example is the Whistler House Museum of Art, a museum dedicated to teaching the public about 19th century art and showcasing Lowell and regional based artwork in public exhibitions. While also preserving the birthplace of James McNeil Whistler, a 19th and 20th century artist. The Acre also includes theatres and music halls such as the Taffeta and Olympia’s Zorba music halls, not only showing the commitment to “traditional” art but to the theatrical arts as well. Furthermore, The Acre has various murals showcased throughout the streets, the Jack Kerouac Memorial, Mechanic’s hall, Vogue II Salon Station, and many more.

Public Libraries and Government Buildings

The Acre is home to the Pollard Memorial Library, originally founded in 1844, the library serves as a place for the residents of Lowell to learn, study, and hold community events. Lowell City Hall is also located in The Acre.

Cuisine

The Acre is home to a wealth of restaurants including Greek eateries, Laotian Cafes, Vietnamese restaurants, Irish pubs, and much more. The wide range of restaurants is representative of the diverse nature and history that The Acre holds.

Festivals

There are many festivals held in The Acre as a result of the rich diversity that exists there and throughout Lowell itself. Some festivals include

An illustration displaying "Lowell Folk Festival '91" above a musician dancing with a banjo and tambourine. Program for the Lowell Folk Festival. Published by the Lowell Sun, Lowell Massachusetts (1991).

• Lowell Folk Festival - second largest free folk festival in the US; is held annually during every last full weekend of July.

• Lowell Irish Festival - celebration of the Irish culture that exists in Lowell; held annually every September.
• India Heritage Festival - celebration of the Indian culture in Lowell; held annually every September
• Lowell Water Festival - traditionally held in Southeast Asian countries, the Southeast Asian community brings the history of water festivals to Lowell. Traditionally used as a thanksgiving to the gods of water and earth, it also serves as a chance to share the Southeast Asian culture here in Lowell. Held annually every third Saturday in August.
• Lowell Multicultural Festival - a chance for several country communities to come together and share their traditional food, clothing, performances, and more.

Education

Photo of the Tsongas Center

Within The Acre neighborhood there are a whole cohort of primary, secondary, and even tertiary institutions located there, both public and private. This includes Murkland Elementary School, Stoklosa Middle School, St. Patrick’s School, Bartlett Community Partnership School, Hellenic American Academy, Lowell Middlesex Academy Charter School, and Lowell High School. In addition, parts of the University of Massachusetts Lowell campus are in and around The Acre such as East Campus, University Crossing, and the Tsongas Center.