Andover, MA Real Estate And Community Resources Guide

Originally settled in 1636 and officially incorporated ten years later, the town of Andover is often referred to as the “Home of America.” This term of endearment was bestowed after Samuel Francis Smith wrote the lyrics to “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee,” which he entitled “America” while attending the Andover Theological Seminary in 1831.

Andover sits on the banks of the Merrimack River, about 23 miles north of Boston. A part of Essex County, Andover is bordered on the north by the cities of Lawrence and Methuen. To the east, south and west, Andover is surrounded by the towns of North Andover, North Reading, Wilmington, Tewksbury and Dracut. Andover’s 32 square miles of land were home to 33,284 residents in 2007. Bisected by highways 93 and 495, the town has superior accessibility to Boston as well as to the North Shore and New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

Combined with the bustling downtown area and impressive schools, it's prime location makes residences in Andover are some of the most highly sought-after. Between March 2008 and March 2009, the mean and median single-family home prices were $573,677 and $520,625 respectively. Homes in the lower price range averaged $194,967, while in the top tier newer, large homes with big yards sold at an average of $1,637,692.

Andover is world-famous for being home to the prestigious, boarding and day “prep” school, Phillips Academy. Currently, about 1,100 students are enrolled from all over the country and the world. In part, the school’s fame comes from the impressive list of alumni, among them: former Presidents George Bush Sr. and Jr., pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock, former Yale President and baseball Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti, and former Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Oliver Wendall Holmes Jr. The school was founded in 1770, and its extensive campus boasts two museums, a number of historic buildings, a bird sanctuary, and an old cemetery where Harriet Beecher Stowe rests.

In addition to Phillips Academy, Andover offers a private vocational school, the Greater Lawrence Technical School. For pre-school, elementary and middle school students private options include: The Pike School, servicing Pre-K through 9th grade, The Montessori School, for 3 year-olds through 8th graders, and Saint Augustine’s, a Catholic K-8 school. Andover’s public school system is very strong. Each school is overseen by an elected five-member School Committee, with executive oversight and administrative powers vested in an appointed professional Superintendent. The town’s public system consists of five elementary schools, Doherty, West and Wood Hill Middle Schools, and Andover High School.

Andover is respected in business almost as much as in education. Manufacturing has played an important role in Andover since the 18th century, when the region’s first powder mill and paper factories were established. Today, Andover attracts many modern industries. In addition to Andover’s central downtown business district, a number of commercial areas and industrial parks host a wide-arrange of companies. The town has become a popular location for large firms, including Raytheon, Philips Electronics, Wyeth BioPharma, and Putnam Investments.

The town has an active community and forward-thinking government. Andover’s governing charter authorizes an open town meeting-board of selectmen-town manager form of government. The town offers public goods and services such as full-time police and fire protection, solid waste disposal and recycling, street maintenance and snow removal, public health and natural resource protection, elder, youth and veterans services, the Memorial Hall Library; and a number of parks, playgrounds, conservation lands, and recreational programs.

The town runs Pomp’s Pond, a family and youth oriented recreation area open in the summer, where families can swim, eat at the shaded picnic tables, rent boats, play volleyball and enjoy the playground. For the more adventurous, the Harold Parker State Forest provides over 3,000 acres of forest, equipped with 91 spread-out campsites. The area has 11 ponds for fishing and over 35 miles of trails for hikers and bikers. Andover also boasts ample grounds for horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and the waters of the Shawsheen River for canoeing.

Bisected by the highway system with Routes 93 and 495, getting to Andover’s secondary roadways including Routes 28, 133, 114 and 125, add to the town’s convenience. Residents are also offered service to Boston’s North Station by two commuter rail stations and a regional bus serving the Merrimack Valley. Boston Logan International Airport and Manchester Boston Regional Airport are each about a half-hour drive from Andover.

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