The Common in Union is a town-owned green space that has been a community resource since 1790. Surrounded by nineteenth- and twentieth-century homes, businesses and civic buildings, the Common was initially set aside by the fledgling community as a shared plot of land on which residents could pasture their livestock, gather, and hold military training. Landscape improvements occurred throughout the nineteenth century, first with the removal of ledge and later with the planting of elm trees. After the Civil War the Common was the site chosen by the local G.A.R. post upon which to erect a stately Civil War monument. The function of the Common then evolved further into a focal point for entertainment and ceremonies when a bandstand was erected in 1895. An additional monument to World War II veterans continued the tradition of adapting the landscape for public art and commemoration. Although somewhat altered by the demands of modern thoroughfares, the was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as an example of a designed landscape reflecting early community development, as well as for its nineteenth- and twentieth-century association with the community?s social history with regard to its residents? military participation, and for its role as a historic site for community entertainment and celebrations.