MARLBOROUGH – One of the most used outdoor sites in Marlborough is the Union Common, a downtown green space bordered by Main, High and Bolton streets.
The grassy slope lends itself to audience viewing, especially with a stage set up by the city. Hundreds of downtown concerts have been enjoyed here. Strings of lights and picnic tables have been added. A dance floor was hauled in once so spectators could dance to Dom V and the Swing Out Band under tall trees.
Quality programs presented by the Hudson Area Arts Alliance entertained families from 2004 to 2010. The Union Common has been graced with tributes to the Wounded Warriors Project, farmers markets, Labor Day parade concessions, prayer gatherings, yoga sessions and the annual Christmas holiday tree lighting accompanied by a chorus, hot chocolate and even a petting zoo. In anticipation of the Horribles Parade be prepared to be startled by scarecrows tied to the iron fence.
Is this spot named to honor the Civil War?
After all, the historic John Brown Bell from Harpers Ferry, W.Va., prominently hangs in a stone tower specially designed for displaying “the country’s second most important bell.”
In defense of the Union, Marlborough soldiers seized the heavy bell as one of the spoils of war, saving it from likely melting to manufacture ammunition down South. Named for the abolitionist John Brown, the bell has provided a backdrop for peaceful protests by the Black Lives Matter movement.
Although Civil War reenactors have set up here since the 1990s, the name “Union” is unconnected.
Situated near Main Street stands a clue that this Common is affiliated with the First Church in Marlborough, Congregational ― the church’s announcement board.
The Union Common actually belongs to the church overlooking it, not the city. However, because the church leases the property to the City of Marlborough, it relinquishes its scheduling and responsibilities to the city.
The name “Union” is derived from when two Congregational societies resolved their differences and formed the Union Society in 1835. Then the church was renamed the Union Congregational Church in Marlborough and thus sprung out the name for the green space it holds still today ― Union Common.
Groups wishing to use the Union Common apply through the Mayor’s Office and not the church.
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