Town in Massachusetts, United States
North Andover
is a
town
in
Essex County
,
Massachusetts
, United States. At the
2020 census
the population was 30,915.
[4]
History
[
edit
]
Native Americans
inhabited what is now northeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years prior to
European colonization of the Americas
. At the time of European arrival,
Massachusett
and
Naumkeag
people inhabited the area south of the
Merrimack River
and
Pennacooks
inhabited the area to the north. The Massachusett referred to the area that would later become North Andover as
Cochichawick
.
[5]
The lands south of the
Merrimack River
around
Lake Cochichewick
and the
Shawsheen River
were set aside by the
Massachusetts General Court
in 1634 for the purpose of creating an inland plantation. The Cochichewick Plantation, as it was called, was purchased on May 6, 1646 when Reverend
John Woodbridge
, who had settled the land for the English, paid
Massachusett
sachem
Cutshamekin
six pounds and a coat for the lands.
[6]
The plantation was then incorporated as
Andover
, most likely in honor of the hometown of many early residents,
Andover, Hampshire
, England. The town was centered in what is now North Andover, but the spread of settlement south and west of the old town center created much conflict in the early years about the location of the parish church. In 1709, the matter was brought to the General Court, which set aside two parish churches, north and south.
[7]
The parishes grew apart as the years went on and on April 7, 1855, the North parish separated from the south and was incorporated as North Andover.
There are several first period (pre-1720) houses still standing in town. The oldest house is probably the Bridges House, relocated from Marbleridge Road to Court Street in 2001; the original portion of this house probably dates to about 1690. Other first period houses include the Stevens House on Great Pond Road; the Faulkner House on Appleton Street; the
Abiel Stevens House
on Salem Street; the
Parson Barnard House
, which is a museum; a house on Andover Street near the intersection with Chickering Road; and the
Carlton-Frie-Tucker House
[8]
at 140 Mill Road. No house in North Andover has been scientifically dated by
dendrochronology
, so dates are based solely on stylistic elements, original deeds, and tradition.
The
North Parish Church
on the North Andover Green is a historic church building built in 1836.
[9]
It was the 5th meetinghouse of the Puritan church congregation founded in 1645 in North Andover. In about 1836 the congregation chose to become a Unitarian church and commissioned this Gothic building.
[10]
North Andover's development was varied, with much of the land along the Shawsheen and Merrimack being concerned with industry, and the lands southwest being more agricultural. Several mills were located in the town, as well as the
Western Electric Company
,
AT&T's
manufacturing division, which supplied telephone machinery for many years before it was split up by AT&T into the new company,
Lucent Technologies
. Today, North Andover is considered a
bedroom community
of the Greater
Boston
area.
In January 2018, voters turned down a proposal for a
cannabis-growing
and research facility in the former Lucent Technologies building, along the Merrimack River. The town meeting vote was 1,430 against having
recreational marijuana
facilities and 1,155 voted in favor. The growing and research facility was expected to bring in to the town $100 million over a 20-year period.
[11]
Geography
[
edit
]
According to the
United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 27.8 square miles (71.9 km
2
), of which 26.3 square miles (68.1 km
2
) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.7 km
2
), or 5.18%, is water.
[12]
The town lies to the south of the
Merrimack River
, which makes up part of its northwestern boundary, along with the
Shawsheen River
. The northeastern quadrant of town is dominated by
Lake Cochichewick
, which is also bordered by the Osgood Hill Reservation, Weir Hill Reservation and the Reas Pond Conservation Area. The town also is home to portions of Harold Parker State Forest, Boxford State Forest and the Charles W. Ward Reservation. There are many brooks, streams and ponds dotting the town.
North Andover lies in the northwestern portion of Essex County along the Merrimack and Shawsheen Rivers. It is bordered by
Andover
to the southwest,
Lawrence
and
Methuen
to the northwest,
Haverhill
to the northeast,
Boxford
to the east and
Middleton
to the southeast. North Andover's Old Center, which is closer to the geographic center of town than its newer town center, is located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southeast of Lawrence's city center, and is 25 miles (40 km) north of Boston and 30 miles (48 km) southeast of
Manchester, New Hampshire
.
Interstate 495
crosses through the western part of town along the Lawrence border, with one exit within town and two more providing access to the town from Lawrence. The town lies along
Massachusetts Route 114
, known as the "Salem Turnpike," and is also served by
Route 125
and
Route 133
, which are concurrent for much of their routes within town. The town is partially served by the
Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority
bus line. The nearest train station is located in Lawrence, where the
Lawrence
stop along the
Haverhill/Reading Line
of the
MBTA Commuter Rail
lies (the line actually passes through the town along the Merrimack, but there is no stop). North Andover is also home to the
Lawrence Municipal Airport
, providing small aircraft service to the region. The nearest national service, at
Logan International Airport
and
Manchester-Boston Regional Airport
, is within a thirty-mile ride of the town.
Demographics
[
edit
]
Historical population
Year
| Pop.
| ±%
|
---|
1860
| 2,343
| ?
|
---|
1870
| 2,549
| +8.8%
|
---|
1880
| 3,217
| +26.2%
|
---|
1890
| 3,742
| +16.3%
|
---|
1900
| 4,243
| +13.4%
|
---|
1910
| 5,529
| +30.3%
|
---|
1920
| 6,265
| +13.3%
|
---|
1930
| 6,961
| +11.1%
|
---|
1940
| 7,524
| +8.1%
|
---|
1950
| 8,485
| +12.8%
|
---|
1960
| 10,908
| +28.6%
|
---|
1970
| 16,284
| +49.3%
|
---|
1980
| 20,129
| +23.6%
|
---|
1990
| 22,792
| +13.2%
|
---|
2000
| 27,202
| +19.3%
|
---|
2010
| 28,352
| +4.2%
|
---|
2020
| 30,915
| +9.0%
|
---|
2023*
| 31,615
| +2.3%
|
---|
* = population estimate. Source:
United States Census
records and
Population Estimates Program
data.
[13]
[14]
[15]
[16]
[17]
[18]
[19]
[20]
[21]
[22]
|
As of the
census
[23]
of 2010, there were 28,352 people, 10,516 households, and 7,324 families residing in the town. The
population density
was 1,078.0 inhabitants per square mile (416.2/km
2
). There were 10,964 housing units at an average density of 416.9 per square mile (161.0/km
2
). The racial makeup of the town was 88.7%
White
, 1.78%
African American
, 0.09%
Native American
, 6.31%
Asian
, 0.01%
Pacific Islander
, 1.62% from
other races
, and 1.50% from two or more races.
Hispanic
or
Latino
of any race were 4.93% of the population.
There were 10,516 households, out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were
married couples
living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.4% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.
As of the 2017 American Community Survey, the median income for a household in the town was $105,661, and the median income for a family was $132,674. Males had a median income of $68,411 versus $42,270 for females. The
per capita income
for the town was $51,658. 5.1% of the population and 2.9% of families were below the
poverty line
. 5.2% of those under the age of 18 and 4.0% of those 65 and older were living below the
poverty line
.
Government and infrastructure
[
edit
]
North Andover employs the
open town meeting
form of government, and is led by a five-member
Select Board
and a town manager, Melissa Rodrigues.
[24]
The town has its own police and fire departments, EMS, public works, and a senior center. North Andover has no hospital, the nearest being Lawrence General Hospital.
On the state level, the town is served by Essex County services, and is patrolled by the First Barracks of Troop A of the
Massachusetts State Police
, based in Andover. North Andover lies in two districts, the Fourteenth Essex and Eighteenth Essex, in the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
, and the
First Essex
and First Essex and Middlesex in the
Massachusetts Senate
.
[25]
North Andover is located within
Massachusetts's 6th congressional district
, and has been served by Representative
Seth Moulton
(D) since 2015. Massachusetts' senior Senator is
Elizabeth Warren
(D), and its junior Senator is
Ed Markey
(D), both in office since 2013. North Andover has no mayor, but, until his death in 2006, William P McEvoy, the director of recreation, was known as the "unofficial mayor".
[26]
Media
[
edit
]
North Andover is located within the Boston media market, and is served by the
Eagle-Tribune
newspaper.
Education
[
edit
]
North Andover is home to its own school system. It has an early childhood center, five elementary schools (Atkinson Elementary, Franklin Elementary, Kittredge Elementary, Annie L. Sargent Elementary, Thomson Elementary), North Andover Middle School and
North Andover High School
. On May 16, 2017, the citizens of North Andover approved the expansion of the early childhood center, which opened for the 2018?2019 school year. The primary reason behind this expansion was to reduce elementary class size, which it failed to realize.
[27]
In 2004, a brand new high school and complete sporting complex including a football field, a soccer field, field hockey greens, and a lacrosse field was added. There is a complete track and field area and numerous tennis courts. North Andover's mascot is the Scarlet Knight and its colors are scarlet and black. It competes in the Merrimack Valley Conference and Division II of the
MIAA
.
[28]
Its main rival is Andover, who it plays in the annual Thanksgiving Day football game. High school students from North Andover are also allowed to attend
Greater Lawrence Technical School
in Andover. There are two private schools in North Andover:
Brooks School
, and Saint Michael's Elementary School. The nearest private high schools include:
Phillips Academy
Andover (9?12),
Austin Preparatory School
(6?12),
Central Catholic High School
(9?12), which are located in the nearby towns of Andover and Reading, and the city of Lawrence.
North Andover is also home to
Merrimack College
, a Catholic Augustinian four-year college. The nearest public community college, based in Haverhill, is
Northern Essex Community College
, which also has a campus in Lawrence and a Corporate & Community Education Center in North Andover. The nearest public university is
University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell)
.
Economy
[
edit
]
Barker's Farm, which started in 1643, is the oldest continually operated business in Massachusetts and among the oldest in the United States.
[29]
Converse
, the popular sneaker company, was headquartered in North Andover from 2002 to 2015.
[30]
Entertainment
[
edit
]
Residents of North Andover can purchase a summer pass to Steven's Pond where they can go swimming.
[31]
Nearby
Weir Hill
offers trails for hiking, walking, biking, and views of the surrounding area and beyond.
Many events are held at the old town center, including the
sheep shearing
festival in late spring and various summer activities for children and adults. The North Andover Youth Center is also located in the old town center and offers a variety of activities to the town's youth. These services are offered to kids in grades 6 through 12 and yearly passes can be purchased to have full access to their facilities.
Harold Parker State Forest
offers 25 miles (40 km) of trails, a campground, and a freshwater swimming beach. Other activities include horseback riding, camping, fishing, hunting, mountain biking, and hiking. In September there is also an annual fishing tournament.
Boxford State Forest is also located in town, and is home to the
Sharpner's Pond Anti-Ballistic Missile Site
.
The
Col. John Osgood House
, a
historic house
, is also in North Andover.
2018 gas leaks and explosions
[
edit
]
On September 13, 2018, several gas lines suffered leakage due to high pressure in the tubes of
Columbia Gas of Massachusetts
, a subsidiary of
NiSource
. As a result, several fires and explosions occurred, homes were evacuated.
[32]
Notable people
[
edit
]
- Colin Blackwell
, ice hockey forward for the
Toronto Maple Leafs
- Cliff Bleszinski
, game designer (
Gears of War
)
- Anne Bradstreet
, poet
- Simon Bradstreet
, Anne's husband, minister and co-founder of
Massachusetts Bay Colony
- Jake Bobo
,
NFL
wide receiver for the
Seattle Seahawks
- Phillips Brooks
, minister of
Trinity Church, Boston
and great-grandson of the founder of
Phillips Academy
- Jake Burton Carpenter
, founder of
Burton Snowboards
- Mike Cavanaugh
, head ice hockey coach at
University of Connecticut
- Jace Clayton
, DJ, writer, interdisciplinary artist
- Joey Daccord
, NHL Player
- Daniel Dennett
, philosopher and
atheist
- Zak DeOssie
, former long snapper for New York Giants, NFL linebacker
- Bobby Farnham
, professional ice hockey player
- Dorothy Farnum
, silent film-era screenwriter
- Jamie Hagerman
, Olympic ice hockey player
- Steve Heinze
, former NHL player
- Charles Jencks
, architect and philanthropist
- George B. Loring
, member of US House of Representatives and career politician
- John U. Monro
, dean of Harvard College
[33]
- Samuel Osgood
, first Postmaster General of the United States
- Samuel Phillips Jr.
, founder of
Phillips Academy
- Liz Simons
, actor and comedian
[34]
- Richard D. Smith
, renowned chemist in the area of proteomics
- James Spader
, screen and TV actor (
Boston Legal
and
The Blacklist
)
- Issac Stevens
, first governor of
Washington Territory
- Moses Stevens
, textile manufacturer
[35]
- Oliver Stevens
, Suffolk County district attorney
- Sidney J. Watson
, former NFL player, former college ice hockey coach, and US Hockey Hall of Fame inductee
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"European Settlement"
.
- ^
"Timeline"
.
- ^
"Timeline"
.
- ^
"Census - Geography Profile: North Andover town, Essex County, Massachusetts"
. Retrieved
2021-11-07
.
- ^
Perley, Sidney (1912).
The Indian land titles of Essex County, Massachusetts
. The Library of Congress. Salem, Mass. : Essex Book and Print Club.
- ^
Sprague, William Buell (1859).
Annals of the American pulpit
. Vol. 1. R. Carter and brothers. p. 129
. Retrieved
2015-04-16
.
- ^
Bailey, Sarah Loring (1880).
Historical Sketches of Andover (comprising the Present Towns of North Andover and Andover), Massachusetts
. Houghton, Mifflin
. Retrieved
2018-01-24
.
- ^
"NRHP nomination for Carlton-Frie-Tucker House"
. Commonwealth of Massachusetts
. Retrieved
2015-08-05
.
- ^
"North Parish Church - Photographs & History"
.
www.nearchitecture.com
. Retrieved
4 April
2018
.
- ^
"Meeting House History of the Friends of the 1836 Meeting House of North Andover"
.
Friends of the 1836 Meeting House
. Retrieved
2023-02-21
.
- ^
Adams, Dan (2018-01-31).
"North Andover rejects proposal for pot farm"
.
The Boston Globe
. Retrieved
2018-01-31
.
- ^
"Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): North Andover town, Essex County, Massachusetts"
.
United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
September 5,
2012
.
- ^
"TOTAL POPULATION (P1), 2010 Census Summary File 1, All County Subdivisions within Massachusetts"
. United States Census Bureau. Archived from
the original
on February 12, 2020
. Retrieved
September 13,
2011
.
- ^
"Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision - GCT-T1. Population Estimates"
. United States Census Bureau. Archived from
the original
on February 12, 2020
. Retrieved
July 12,
2011
.
- ^
"1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts"
(PDF)
. US Census Bureau. December 1990. Table 76: General Characteristics of Persons, Households, and Families: 1990. 1990 CP-1-23. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on December 7, 2013
. Retrieved
July 12,
2011
.
- ^
"1980 Census of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts"
(PDF)
. US Census Bureau. December 1981. Table 4. Populations of County Subdivisions: 1960 to 1980. PC80-1-A23
. Retrieved
July 12,
2011
.
- ^
"1950 Census of Population"
(PDF)
. 1: Number of Inhabitants. Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950
. Retrieved
July 12,
2011
.
- ^
"1920 Census of Population"
(PDF)
. Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1900, 1910, and 1920
. Retrieved
July 12,
2011
.
- ^
"1890 Census of the Population"
(PDF)
. Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890
. Retrieved
July 12,
2011
.
- ^
"1870 Census of the Population"
(PDF)
. Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts
. Retrieved
July 12,
2011
.
- ^
"1860 Census"
(PDF)
. Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c
. Retrieved
July 12,
2011
.
- ^
"City and Town Population Totals: 2020?2023"
.
United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
May 19,
2024
.
- ^
"U.S. Census website"
.
United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
2008-01-31
.
- ^
Town of North Andover, MA (2004-05-03).
"Town of North Andover, MA - Town Manager"
. Townofnorthandover.com. Archived from
the original
on 2013-02-10
. Retrieved
2013-01-23
.
- ^
Massachusetts General Court,
"An Act Establishing Executive Councillor and Senatorial Districts"
,
Session Laws: Acts (2011)
, retrieved
April 15,
2020
- ^
"McEvoy Field renovations begin"
.
- ^
"ECC Expansion FAQs - North Andover Public Schools"
.
www.northandoverpublicschools.com
. Retrieved
4 April
2018
.
- ^
Pevear, David (6 September 2012).
"Kickoff '12: A call to arms - Lowell Sun Online"
. Lowellsun.com
. Retrieved
2013-01-23
.
- ^
Morrison, Jim (2019-10-03).
"After 377 years, a North Andover family farm fights to stay relevant"
.
Boston Business Journal
. Retrieved
2019-10-07
.
- ^
Marchetti, Garrin (2015).
"Converse hangs it up in North Andover"
.
Eagle-Tribune
. Retrieved
2021-01-31
.
- ^
"Stevens Pond"
.
North Andover Youth and Recreation Services
. Retrieved
20 March
2024
.
- ^
"Gas explosions hit Massachusetts homes"
.
BBC News
. 2018-09-14
. Retrieved
2018-09-15
.
- ^
Capossela, Toni-Lee (2013-04-15).
"Vita: John Usher Monro"
.
Harvard Magazine
. Retrieved
2021-05-14
.
- ^
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7073125/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
- ^
"STEVENS, Moses Tyler (1825-1907)"
. Office of the House Historian
. Retrieved
2020-12-04
.
External links
[
edit
]
Historical maps
[
edit
]
|
---|
Counties
|
- Belknap, NH
- Bristol, MA
- Bristol, RI
- Essex, MA
- Hillsborough, NH
- Kent, RI
- Merrimack, NH
- Middlesex, MA
- Newport, RI
- Norfolk, MA
- Plymouth, MA
- Providence, RI
- Rockingham, NH
- Strafford, NH
- Suffolk, MA
- Washington, RI
- Worcester, MA
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Major cities
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Cities and towns
100k-250k
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Cities and towns
25k-100k
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Cities and towns
10k-25k
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Sub-regions
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See also
| |
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International
| |
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National
| |
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Geographic
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