Living in Massachusetts Cities and Towns Andover, Massachusetts

Andover, Massachusetts is located just 20 miles north of Boston. It is a suburban community of 32 square miles with a population of approximately 29,000. There is easy access to the city and Logan Airport. Consequently, Andover, Massachusetts is home to many of the largest high-technology firms such as:

Andover, Massachusetts is located just 20 miles north of Boston. It is a suburban community of 32 square miles with a population of approximately 29,000. There is easy access to the city and Logan Airport. Consequently, Andover, Massachusetts is home to many of the largest high-technology firms such as:

• Hewlett-Packard
• Raytheon
• Digital
• Gillette
• Genetics Institute

Andover, Massachusetts is also known as the best baseball town in the state with many high school players going to Division 1 baseball programs. The Andover Legion baseball team is one of the best in the state. Andover High School is one of the better sports high schools overall in the state in sports such as girls' swimming, boys' tennis. The boys' golf team has also been successful.

Some places of interest in Andover, Massachusetts might be:

• Phillips Academy
• A large IRS service center accepting tax forms from several neighboring states
• Site to a large factory owned by Raytheon, the builder of the Patriot Missile, which warranted a visit from then-President George H. W. Bush (himself an alumnus of Phillips Academy)
• Andover Village Improvement Society is the second oldest land preservation society in the country and controls over 1,100 acres.

Schools in Andover, Massachusetts include:

• Elementary schools (K-5) – Shawsheen, Bancroft, West Elementary, South, Sanborn, High Plain
• Middle Schools (6-8) – Doherty, West Middle, Wood Hill
• High Schools (9-12) – Andover High School

Private Schools:

• Saint Augustine's, Catholic, serves grades K-8
• Pike School, serves grades Pre-K-9
• Phillips Academy, serves grade 9 – 12 (Post-Grad)
• Montessori School

Higher Education

• Massachusetts School of Law

An interesting incident occurred in the Salem Village in 1692. A resident there asked for help for his wife from several girls in the village who were said to have the power to detect and cure disease. The girls claimed that several people in Andover had bewitched the sick woman. A frenzy swept Salem Village and surrounding communities and more than 40 Andover citizens (mostly women) were accused of being in contact with Satan. Some of them were put to death and many of the rest were imprisoned for months.

The Memorial Hall Library was constructed in 1873 in memory of the 53 Andover men who lost their lives during the Civil War. It was financed through private donations.

The anti-slavery movement had many supporters in Andover. William Jenkins was an ardent abolitionist and friend of William Lloyd Garrison who along with several others provided stops on the Underground Railroad for runaway slaves. Harriet Beecher Stowe was an ardent participant in the Underground Railroad and a long time resident who wrote the famous book Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Andover is bordered by Tewskbury and Dracut on the west, Lawrence and Methusen on the north, North Andover on the east, and North Reading and Wilmington on the south. Andover is 10 miles east of Lowell, 22 miles north of Boston, and 241 miles from New York City.

Form of Government:

• Board of Selectmen
• Town Manager
• Open Town Meeting

There are subsidized housing available and Section 8 programs.

Transportation and Access

Rail commuter service to North Station, Boston is available from Andover Center in about 47 to 51 minutes. The Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority provides fixed route service to Lawrence. Trombley Commuter Lines provides commuter service from Andover to Boston.

There is a Department of Public Health, two nursing homes and Wingate At Andover Rehab, no Hospices services, no rest homes and one hospital, Isham Infirmary.



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© 2007 Connie Limon All Rights Reserved

Written by Connie Limon For more information about the history of, living, working and visiting Massachusetts, visit http://smalldogs2.com/VisitingMassachusetts For a variety of FREE reprint articles and a special section of articles on U.S. History and the Kennedy Family, visit http://www.camelotarticles.com