The intersection was created between Lots 15 and 16 of Concessions 2 and 3 of Oxford Township in the early 19th century and was originally named Bobtown, with only a
Blacksmith's shop in the area. In the late 1820s, Robert Acton (for whom the community is named) and his family arrived from West
Connaught,
Ireland, and settled on Lot 16, Concession 3. Robert's son, John Acton, was a capable shoemaker, but worked on the Rideau Canal as a stonemason and later constructed several buildings in the township including the grist mill at Oxford Mills and the stone house at Actons Corners that replaced the family's original log dwelling. At its height, Actons Corners boasted a post office, a school, two churches, a cheese factory, and an
Orange Hall. The post office operated between the 1890s and 1912, when it was replaced by rural mail delivery from Kemptville. A stone school was first opened in 1858 to replace two log schools to the east and west of the village. In 1905 the school was demolished and replaced with a new stone building which became the North Grenville Archives in 1998. A white-framed
Methodist Church was constructed in 1875 and a stone
Anglican church, St. Augustine, was built in 1879. The Methodist church was sold and removed in 1963, while the Anglican church remains standing, though it has been
deconsecrated and is now privately owned. Scott's Cheese Factory was built in 1886 and operated until 1948. The Orange Hall served as a community centre until it was closed and the building sold and moved in the late 1930s. ==References==