Andover | |
|---|---|
 Andover's Old Town Hall, located in downtown Andover | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto: "Home of America"[1] | |
 Location inEssex County and the state ofMassachusetts | |
  Andover  Andover  Andover | |
| Coordinates:42°39′27″N71°08′27″W / 42.65750°N 71.14083°W /42.65750; -71.14083 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Essex |
| Region | New England |
| Settled[2] | 1634 |
| Incorporated[3] | 1646 |
| Current geography[3] | 1855 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Open town meeting |
| • Town Manager | Andrew P. Flanagan[4] |
| • Select Board | Alexander J. Vispoli, Chair Ellen Townson Laura M. Gregory Melissa Danisch Kevin Coffey |
| Area | |
• Total | 32.1 sq mi (83.2 km2) |
| • Land | 31.0 sq mi (80.3 km2) |
| • Water | 1.1 sq mi (2.9 km2) |
| Elevation | 180 ft (55 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 36,569 |
| • Density | 1,179/sq mi (455.4/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Code | 01810 |
| Area code | 351/978 |
| FIPS code | 25-01465 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0619444 |
| Website | The Official Website of Andover, Massachusetts |
Andover is a town inEssex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was settled in 1642 and incorporated in 1646.[5] At the2020 census, the population was 36,569.[6] It is located 20 miles (32 km) north ofBoston and 4 miles (6.4 km) south ofLawrence. Part of the town comprises thecensus-designated place ofAndover. It is twinned with its namesake:Andover, Hampshire, England.[7][8]
Native Americans inhabited what is now northeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years prior toEuropean colonization of the Americas. At the time of European arrival,Massachusett andNaumkeag people inhabited the area south of theMerrimack River andPennacooks inhabited the area to the north. The Massachusett referred to the area that would later be renamed Andover asCochichawick.[9] Cochichawick was transferred to English settlers on May 16, 1649, by the Sagamore of the Massachusett, Cutshamache. He sold the land known as Cochichawick to Mr. John Woodbrige for the price of 6 pounds and a coat, which he had already received, as well as an agreement that the Massachusett people be allowed to catchalewives in theCochichawick River.
In 1634, theMassachusetts General Court set aside a portion of land in what is now Essex County for an inland plantation, including parts of what is now Andover,North Andover and SouthLawrence.[10] In order to encourage settlement, early colonists were offered three years' immunity from taxes, levies, and services (apart from military service). The first permanent settlement in the Andover area was established in 1642 byJohn Woodbridge and a group of settlers fromNewbury andIpswich.
Shortly after they arrived, they purchased land from theMassachusettsachemCutshamekin for "six pounds of currency and a coat" on the condition that a local company of indigenous people headed by a man named Roger be allowed to plant corn and takealewives from a local water source. Roger's Brook, a small stream which cuts through the eastern part of town, is named in his honor.[9]
In May 1646 the settlement was incorporated[11] as a town and was named Andover. This name was likely chosen in honor of the town ofAndover in England, which was near the original home of some of the first residents. The first recorded town meeting was held in 1656 in the home of settler John Osgood in what is nowNorth Andover.
The old burying ground in what is now North Andover marks the center of the early town. Contrary to popular belief, the towns split due to the location of the Old North Church, also located in what is now North Andover. The villagers from the southwestern part of the town were tired of walking all the way to the extreme north of what was then Andover and decided to build their ownSouth Church central to what is now Andover.
During the 1692Salem witch trials, Andover resident Joseph Ballard asked for help for his wife from several girls in the neighboringSalem Village who were already identifying witches there. After visiting Elizabeth Ballard, the girls claimed that several people in Andover had bewitched her:Ann Foster, her daughter Mary Lacey Sr. and her granddaughter[12] Mary Lacey Jr. During the course of the legal proceedings, more than 40 Andover citizens, mostly women and their children, were formally accused of having made a covenant with theDevil. Three Andover residents,Martha Carrier,Mary Parker, and Samuel Wardwell, were convicted and executed. Five others either pleaded guilty at arraignment or were convicted at trial:Ann Foster, Mary Lacey Sr., andAbigail Faulkner Sr. (daughter of Andover's minister,Francis Dane) in 1692 and Wardwell's wife Sarah and Rev. Dane's granddaughter, Elizabeth Johnson Jr. in 1693. Those who were not executed were granted reprieves by Gov.William Phips,[when?] but the convictions remained on their records. In 1713, in response to petitions initiated in 1703 byAbigail Faulkner Sr. and Sarah Wardwell, Massachusetts GovernorJoseph Dudley reversed theattainder on the names of those who were convicted in the episode.
By 1705, Andover's population had begun to move southward and the idea of a new meeting house in the south end of town was proposed. This was strongly opposed by the people living near the original meeting house in the north, but the dispute was finally settled in 1709 when the Great and General Court divided Andover into two parishes, North and South. After the division of the two parishes, South Andover established theSouth Church and South Parish "Burying-Yard," as it was called, with early Andover settlerRobert Russell the first to be interred at age 80 in December 1710.[13] But despite this split, the town remained politically one unit.
For many years, Andover was geographically one of the largest towns in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; in 1826 a third parish was established and West Parish Church was constructed on Reservation Road.
In 1855, Andover divided into two separate political units according to the old parish boundaries.[10] The name Andover was assumed by the West and South parishes, while the nameNorth Andover was given to the North Parish. How those names were decided upon is still debated to this day, from the reasons being money being paid to one town to keep the name, to there being a controversy over a fire truck affecting the name change.
Records show that on the morning of April 19, 1775, approximately 350 Andover men marched towardLexington. Although they did not arrive in time for thebattle that day, they did go on to participate in the battle of Bunker Hill two months later and fought in subsequent skirmishes with the Redcoats during the war.
Among the Andover men who were representatives to theMassachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1779–1780 were ColonelSamuel Osgood, Zebadiah Abbot, John Farnum andSamuel Phillips Jr. Phillips—who had foundedPhillips Academy in 1778—was later appointed byJohn Adams to help draft the Massachusetts state constitution.
During the burning of Charlestown (June 17, 1775) Andover townspeople hiked to the top of Holt Hill to witness it.[14] Holt Hill is the highest point in Essex County at 420 ft (130 m) and is currently part of theCharles W. Ward Reservation.[15]
In November 1798,David Brown led a group inDedham, Massachusetts, in setting up aliberty pole with the words, "NoStamp Act, NoSedition Act, NoAlien Bills, No Land Tax, downfall to the Tyrants of America; peace and retirement to the President; Love Live the Vice President," referring to then-PresidentJohn Adams and Vice PresidentThomas Jefferson. Brown was arrested in Andover, but because he could not afford the $4,000 bail, he was taken toSalem for trial. Brown was tried in June 1799. Brown wanted to plead guilty but JusticeSamuel Chase wanted him to name everybody who had helped him or who subscribed to his writings. Brown refused, was fined $480, and sentenced to eighteen months in prison, the most severe sentence then imposed under theAlien and Sedition Acts.[16]
On January 4, 1853, Benjamin "Bennie" Pierce, the 11-year-old son of President-electFranklin Pierce, was killed in a train accident in town.[17] TheBoston & Maine noon express, traveling from Boston to Lawrence, was moving at 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) when an axle broke. The only coach, in which Franklin Pierce was also riding, went down an embankment and broke in two.[18] (The baggage car and locomotive remained on the track.) Pierce's son Benjamin was the only passenger killed, but it was initially reported that Franklin Pierce was also a fatality.[19]
The anti-slavery movement had many supporters in Andover long before theCivil War began. William Jenkins – an ardent abolitionist and friend ofWilliam Lloyd Garrison – and several others provided stops on theUnderground Railroad for runaway slaves.Harriet Beecher Stowe, author ofUncle Tom's Cabin, was a longtime resident. Her home, known asStowe House, is now owned byPhillips Academy. Her body is buried in Phillips Academy's cemetery. When the Confederate Army shelledFort Sumter in 1861, a company of 79 volunteers formed. By the time the war ended in 1865, six hundred Andover men had served in the Union Army.
In 1919, theAmerican Woolen Company announced plans to build a million dollar mill in the already-existing mill community of Frye Village and rename the region "Shawsheen." The village was completely rebuilt as a "model industrial community" and became the site of the company's headquarters. The mill began operating in 1922 and within two years the village contained more than 200 houses, several community buildings, a few tennis courts, a swimming area, abowling green, an athletic field and a golf course. The employees rented their homes from the company; the brick structures were reserved for upper management and the wooden buildings for those of lesser position. This industrialutopia, however, was short-lived - by the early 1940s almost all of the houses and administration buildings were in private hands. The mills became a victim of changing technology as synthetic fibers became more popular than wool. The American Woolen Company closed its mills in 1953, and the buildings today house a variety of businesses, homes, and apartments. The village left its mark nationally, however, when itssoccer team, theShawsheen Indians, won thenational soccer championship in 1925.
On September 13, 2018, several gas lines suffered leakage due to high pressure in the tubes ofColumbia Gas of Massachusetts, a subsidiary ofNiSource. As a result, several fires and explosions occurred, and homes were evacuated. At the conclusion of the event, over 70 houses suffered from gas-related explosions in the Andover-Lawrence area. Dozens of people were injured and one 18-year-old Lawrence resident was killed.[20]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 32.1 square miles (83.2 km2), of which 31.0 square miles (80.3 km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.9 km2) (3.49%) is water. Significant water areas include theShawsheen River, Fosters Pond, Pomps Pond, andHaggetts Pond, located in west Andover, which serves as the town's reservoir.Haggetts Pond was originally set apart from other waters, but since the late 1990s has had waters added from theMerrimack River, which constitutes half of the town's northern border, to supplement the growing needs of the town. Andover is also home to the Harold Parker State Forest, theTrustees of Reservations'Charles W. Ward Reservation, as well as a very small portion of Lawrence's Den Rock Park. The town's Conservation Commission and privately non-profitA.V.I.S. (Andover Village Improvement Society) together own around 3000 acres in the town. Other notable reservations in the town include the Harold R. Rafton Reservation and the Deer Jump Reservation (along the banks of the Merrimack). The town is home to many glacial features including drumlins, eskers, and glacial erratics.
Andover's town center is located approximately four miles south of the center ofLawrence, and is 22 miles (35 km) north ofBoston and 30 miles (48 km) southeast ofManchester, New Hampshire. Andover contains the westernmost point of Essex County, along the Merrimack River. It is bordered by Lawrence to the north,North Andover to the northeast,North Reading andWilmington to the south andTewksbury (the latter three inMiddlesex County) to the southwest. Andover also bordersMethuen to the northwest; however, the boundary separation is formed by the Merrimack River.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 2,863 | — |
| 1800 | 2,941 | +2.7% |
| 1810 | 3,164 | +7.6% |
| 1820 | 3,889 | +22.9% |
| 1830 | 4,530 | +16.5% |
| 1840 | 5,207 | +14.9% |
| 1850 | 6,945 | +33.4% |
| 1860 | 4,765 | −31.4% |
| 1870 | 4,873 | +2.3% |
| 1880 | 5,169 | +6.1% |
| 1890 | 6,142 | +18.8% |
| 1900 | 6,813 | +10.9% |
| 1910 | 7,301 | +7.2% |
| 1920 | 8,268 | +13.2% |
| 1930 | 9,969 | +20.6% |
| 1940 | 11,122 | +11.6% |
| 1950 | 12,437 | +11.8% |
| 1960 | 17,134 | +37.8% |
| 1970 | 23,695 | +38.3% |
| 1980 | 26,370 | +11.3% |
| 1990 | 29,151 | +10.5% |
| 2000 | 31,247 | +7.2% |
| 2010 | 33,201 | +6.3% |
| 2020 | 36,569 | +10.1% |
| 2024* | 36,927 | +1.0% |
| * = population estimate. Source:United States census records andPopulation Estimates Program data.[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]1790–1840[31][a][32] | ||
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,247 people, 11,305 households, and 8,490 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,007.8 inhabitants per square mile (389.1/km2). There were 11,590 housing units at an average density of 144.3 persons/km2 (373.8 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 91.60% White, 0.75% African American, 0.06%Native American, 5.73% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.84% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. 1.81% of the population wereHispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 11,305 households, out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.6% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 24.9% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.8% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
According to a 2012 estimate,[33] the median income for a household in the town was $118,324, the median family income was $144,685. Males with full-time year-round jobs had a median income higher than $100,000; for females, the median was $62,532. The per capita income for the town was $53,378. 2.6% of families and 4.2% of the population, including 3.7% of people aged under 18 years and 5.8% of people aged 65 and over, were below the poverty line.
Andover had 217 residents who filed as making at least $1 million (~$1.37 million in 2024) in 2011, accounting for one millionaire per every 157 people.[34] The average income for millionaires in Andover was $2,441,000.[35] Using income and other demographic data, Andover ranked 37 out of 490 in a ranking of wealthiest zipcodes in Massachusetts.[36]
There are several companies headquartered in Andover. One of many companies,Mercury Systems, is included in the S&P 400 Index. Another,Vicor Corporation, is a part of the S&P 600 Index. Andover also hosts regional offices for many multinational corporations such asSchneider Electric,Pfizer andRaytheon Technologies.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has the Andover Campus service center, which for many yearsaccepted tax forms from several neighboring states. With increasing rates ofe-filing, that function was threatened with phase-out in 2009.[37] The federal employees' union,NTEU, in mid-2009 pushed for special consideration under theTroubled Asset Relief Program for employees threatened with losing jobs.[38] In late 2009, the U.S.General Services Administration received money through theAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to fund the $85 milliongreen modernization of the 1967 building complex.[39]
The town manager is Andrew P. Flanagan,[4] and the chair of the select board is Alexander J. Vispoli.[40]
| Year | Democratic | Republican | Third parties | Total Votes | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 66.70%14,503 | 30.78%6,693 | 2.52%547 | 21,743 | 35.92% |
| 2016 | 59.43%11,222 | 34.54%6,522 | 6.04%1,140 | 18,884 | 24.89% |
| 2012 | 50.11%9,401 | 48.49%9,096 | 1.40%263 | 18,760 | 1.63% |
| 2008 | 55.64%10,177 | 42.63%7,798 | 1.73%316 | 18,291 | 13.01% |
| 2004 | 53.02%9,205 | 45.54%7,907 | 1.45%251 | 17,363 | 7.48% |
| 2000 | 48.08%7,899 | 44.57%7,323 | 7.35%1,207 | 16,429 | 3.51% |
| 1996 | 49.90%7,906 | 41.68%6,604 | 8.43%1,335 | 15,845 | 8.22% |
| 1992 | 39.75%6,649 | 38.78%6,487 | 21.46%3,590 | 16,726 | 0.97% |
| 1988 | 41.70%6,416 | 56.74%8,730 | 1.57%241 | 15,387 | 15.04% |
| 1984 | 38.18%5,479 | 61.42%8,814 | 0.40%58 | 14,351 | 23.24% |
| 1980 | 29.48%4,028 | 52.13%7,122 | 18.39%2,513 | 13,663 | 22.65% |
| 1976 | 41.73%5,464 | 55.09%7,214 | 3.18%417 | 13,095 | 13.36% |
| 1972 | 41.09%4,955 | 58.49%7,054 | 0.42%51 | 12,060 | 17.40% |
| 1968 | 44.89%4,726 | 51.90%5,464 | 3.21%338 | 10,528 | 7.01% |
| 1964 | 56.61%5,493 | 43.06%4,179 | 0.33%32 | 9,704 | 13.54% |
| 1960 | 38.63%3,582 | 61.31%5,685 | 0.06%6 | 9,273 | 22.68% |
| 1956 | 22.81%1,910 | 77.07%6,453 | 0.12%10 | 8,373 | 54.26% |
| 1952 | 25.70%1,945 | 74.08%5,606 | 0.21%16 | 7,567 | 48.38% |
| 1948 | 32.41%2,037 | 66.04%4,151 | 1.56%98 | 6,286 | 33.63% |
| 1944 | 34.07%2,027 | 65.69%3,908 | 0.24%14 | 5,949 | 31.62% |
| 1940 | 36.31%2,206 | 63.34%3,848 | 0.35%21 | 6,075 | 27.03% |
Andover is the location of the intersection ofInterstate 93 andInterstate 495. The town is also served byRoute 28, which serves as the main road from north to south through town, as well asRoute 133 andRoute 125, abypass road going through the woods of eastern Andover.
Andover has two stops,Ballardvale andAndover along theHaverhill/Reading Line of theMBTA Commuter Rail, providing rail service from Haverhill to Boston'sNorth Station. Andover Station is also near theThird Railroad Station, a formerBoston and Maine Railroad station which is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places. The nearest small plane service is atLawrence Municipal Airport in North Andover, and national service can be found at bothLogan International Airport andManchester–Boston Regional Airport, both within thirty miles of the town. Several routes of theMerrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority and Route 10 onLowell Regional Transit Authority also service the town. These include both service to Lawrence as well as a weekday commuter bus to Boston.
The Andover Police Department provides full-time general law enforcement for the town. The town is also served by Troop A of theMassachusetts State Police, operating out of the Andover barracks (A-1).
Andover Fire-Rescue provides full-time fire and emergency medical services for Andover. The department has three full-time stations and maintains four engines, two ladder trucks, four ambulances and two forest fire units, as well as miscellaneous vehicles.[42]
Municipalities and communities ofEssex County, Massachusetts,United States | ||
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