North Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts. 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 Pennacook chief Cutshmache six pounds and a coat for the lands. 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. 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 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 Barnard House is most unusual and might prove to be one of the few examples of a house dating to an earlier year than established by architectural historians.

The North Parish Church on the North Andover Green is a historic church building built in 1836. 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.

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.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.8 square miles (71.9 km²), of which 26.3 square miles (68.1 km²) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.7 km²), or 5.18%, is water. The town lies to the south of the Merrimack River, which makes up part of its northwest boundary, along with the Shawsheen River. The northeast 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, with a small corner of the town bordering Middlesex County. It is bordered by Andover to the west, Lawrence to the north, Haverhill to the northeast, Boxford to the east, Middleton to the southeast, and North Reading to the southwest. 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.

A small portion of Interstate 495 crosses through town along the Lawrence border, with one exit within town and two more providing access to the highway. 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

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.

As of the census 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/km²). There were 10,964 housing units at an average density of 416.9 per square mile (161.0/km²). 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.

Media

North Andover is located within the Boston media market, and is served by the Eagle-Tribune newspaper.

Education

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.

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. 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

Barker's Farm, which started in 1643, is the oldest continually operated business in Massachusetts and among the oldest in the United States.

Converse, the popular sneaker company, was headquartered in North Andover from 2002 to 2015.

Entertainment

Residents of North Andover can purchase a summer pass to Steven's Pond where they can go swimming. 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

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.

Notable people

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
Samuel Osgood, first Postmaster General of the United States
Samuel Phillips Jr., founder of Phillips Academy
Liz Simons, actor and comedian
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
Oliver Stevens, Suffolk County district attorney
Sidney J. Watson, former NFL player, former college ice hockey coach, and US Hockey Hall of Fame inductee

North Andover, Massachusetts facts for kids

Contents

History