Andover, Massachusetts
Founded in 1646, Andover is a charming town with a rich historical legacy spanning from colonial times through its industrial development. This guide highlights 20 significant civic, historical, and architectural landmarks in Andover and neighboring North Andover, offering valuable insights for developers, commercial contractors, and municipalities involved in historic preservation and restoration projects.
Phillips Academy
Founded in 1778 by Samuel Phillips, this prestigious boarding school is one of America’s oldest and most renowned educational institutions, featuring an impressive collection of historic buildings spanning multiple architectural periods. The campus showcases architectural styles from Georgian and Federal to Victorian and Colonial Revival across its 450-acre property, representing over 200 years of American educational architecture with 160 buildings including student dormitories, faculty houses, and administrative structures that have been home to numerous notable alumni.
Phone: (978) 749-4000
Addison Gallery of American Art
Established in 1931 on the Phillips Academy campus, the Addison Gallery houses one of the most important collections of American art in the world with over 22,000 works spanning three centuries. The museum building, designed by Charles Platt in 1930 in neoclassical style, underwent a major expansion and restoration in 2010 while preserving its historic character, and maintains a significant permanent collection featuring works by renowned American artists including John Singleton Copley, Winslow Homer, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Jackson Pollock.
Phone: (978) 749-4015
Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens
Originally known as Ashdale Farm when acquired by the Stevens family in 1729, this historic property was transformed into an elegant agricultural estate after Helen Stevens inherited it in 1914 and with her husband John Gardner Coolidge commissioned preservation architect Joseph Everett Chandler to renovate the house. The 91-acre estate features a Colonial Revival style main house formed from two connected farmhouses and surrounded by exquisite gardens including a perennial garden, rose garden, and French potager garden with a unique brick serpentine wall, now managed by The Trustees of Reservations.
Phone: (978) 689-9105
Andover Center for History & Culture
Formerly known as the Andover Historical Society, this institution preserves and shares the town’s rich history through its museum, archives, and educational programs. The Center is housed in a historic building on Main Street and contains extensive collections of artifacts, photographs, and documents that chronicle Andover’s development from a colonial settlement to a modern town, with exhibits highlighting the town’s agricultural heritage, industrial growth, and cultural evolution.
Phone: (978) 475-2236
Ward Reservation
Donated by Mrs. Charles W. Ward in 1940 in memory of her husband, this 704-acre nature reserve encompasses three hills—Shrub, Boston, and Holt—offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. At the summit of Holt Hill, the highest point in Essex County, stands the “Solstice Stones,” a compass-like arrangement that marks the sunset on the longest and shortest days of the year, while the property’s diverse ecological habitats include oak-pine woodlands, grasslands, orchards, a quaking bog, and beaver wetlands all connected by nearly 15 miles of trails.
Phone: (978) 682-3580
South Church
Established in 1709 when Andover was divided into North and South Parishes, South Church stands at the center of Andover’s early development with its current structure dating to 1861. The impressive Gothic Revival building features a tall spire, rose window, and distinctive buttresses, while inside, the sanctuary showcases beautiful woodwork, stained glass, and a historic pipe organ, serving as a landmark of both architectural significance and spiritual heritage at the heart of the town’s evolution.
Phone: (978) 475-0321
Parson Barnard House
Built in 1715 by Reverend Thomas Barnard, this well-preserved First Period colonial house is now a museum operated by the North Andover Historical Society. The house features a classic New England saltbox design with a central chimney, and its interior has been meticulously restored to showcase different time periods from 1715 to 1830, illuminating the evolving lifestyle of its various inhabitants including Reverend Barnard, a critic of the Salem Witch Trials, and later Reverend William Symmes Jr., who cast a pivotal vote in the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
Phone: (978) 686-4035
West Parish Church
Built in 1826 and currently the oldest original church building standing in Andover, this impressive granite structure was constructed by local craftsmen using Andover ledge stone. The church’s distinctive design features a bell tower added during 1863 renovations, and the cornerstone was laid according to Masonic ritual with mason Reuben Frye’s initials carved on the keystone over the front entrance, while the interior was remodeled from box pews to circular pew benches and complemented in 1927 with the addition of a stone vestry designed by local architect Perley Gilbert.
Phone: (978) 475-3528
Johnson Cottage
Built in 1789, this humble structure is the last surviving artisan’s cottage in North Andover’s Old Center and is now preserved by the North Andover Historical Society. The cottage offers a glimpse into the life of an average family in 19th century New England with its simple construction, practical layout, and period furnishings, serving as a stage for many of the Historical Society’s interactive educational programs and providing a stark contrast to the more affluent homes preserved in the area.
Phone: (978) 686-4035
Andover Inn
Originally established in 1789 and rebuilt in 1930, this historic Georgian Revival inn is located on the Phillips Academy campus and has long served as an elegant accommodation for visitors to the school and town. The building features classic architectural details including a symmetrical façade, stately columns, and a welcoming portico, while the interior showcases traditional New England décor with period furniture and refined finishes, continuing its historic role as a cherished landmark for social gatherings, special events, and overnight accommodations.
Phone: (978) 775-4900
Old Town Hall
Built in 1858, this historic civic building has served as a center for community events and government meetings for over 160 years in the heart of Andover. The structure exemplifies classic New England architecture with its rectangular form, balanced proportions, and elegant detailing, and though no longer the seat of town government, it continues to serve the community through various public and private events, standing as a symbol of Andover’s civic heritage and the town’s commitment to preserving its architectural treasures.
Phone: (978) 623-8700
North Andover Historical Society Museum
Established in 1913, this museum is housed in a 1932 building near the town common and serves as a repository for North Andover’s rich history. The museum’s collections include furniture, textiles, documents, and photographs that tell the story of the town’s development from its colonial origins through its industrial growth, with exhibits highlighting the lives of early settlers, the development of manufacturing, and the cultural heritage of various immigrant groups who have contributed to the community’s evolution.
Phone: (978) 686-4035
Blanchard-Upton House
Built around 1720 on land acquired by Thomas Blanchard in 1699, this First Period colonial house represents one of the earliest homes still standing in Andover. The house features brick nogging between the inner walls and outer sheathing, a massive 10-foot wide fireplace (one of the largest in Massachusetts), and exposed interior framing with quirked beading typical of transitional early 18th century construction, while the western half may be even older based on construction techniques, offering a rare glimpse into colonial building practices.
Phone: (978) 475-2236
Benjamin Abbott House
Dating to approximately 1711, this remarkably well-preserved First Period house was built by Benjamin Abbott, whose family was among the earliest settlers of Andover. The house represents classic colonial architecture with its central chimney, saltbox roofline, and traditional room layout, while inside, many original features remain intact including wide-plank floors, exposed beams, and period woodwork, providing an authentic glimpse into domestic life during the early 18th century and the construction techniques employed by colonial craftsmen.
Phone: (978) 475-2236
Central Street Historic District
Representing the finest collection of historic homes in Andover, this district showcases virtually every architectural style fashionable in the town from First Period through Shingle Style. The area began developing in the late 18th century when Timothy Dwight observed houses “built chiefly on a single street, upwards of a mile in length,” and continued through two centuries of growth, resulting in an extraordinary assemblage of well-preserved homes that collectively tell the story of American domestic architecture’s evolution and the prosperity of Andover’s leading citizens.
Phone: (978) 475-2236
Academy Hill Historic District
Centered around Phillips Academy (1778) and Abbot Academy (1829), this historic district encompasses 450 acres and 160 buildings representing diverse architectural styles spanning over 200 years. The district has been home to numerous notable individuals including Oliver Wendell Holmes, Samuel F.B. Morse, Professor Austin Phelps, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Horatio Greenough, and its architectural legacy includes Georgian, Federal, Victorian, Colonial Revival, and modern buildings that collectively form an extraordinary campus environment that continues to evolve while respecting its historic fabric.
Phone: (978) 749-4000
Andover Village Industrial District
Representing Andover’s industrial heritage, this district encompasses three distinct subsections focused on different manufacturing enterprises that began in the early 19th century. The district features surviving factory buildings and associated housing that tell the story of early textile development including cotton spinning, woolen manufacture, and the country’s first flax factory, with industrial buildings typically rising 2 to 4 stories in brick construction arranged in dense clusters, while the modest residential areas showcase simple forms and restrained ornamentation characteristic of worker housing from 1820 to 1910.
Phone: (978) 475-2236
Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology
Founded in 1901 and located on the Phillips Academy campus, this museum houses an exceptional collection of Native American artifacts and archaeological materials from across North and South America. The museum’s collections include pottery, tools, textiles, and ceremonial objects that span thousands of years of indigenous cultural development, while its educational programs and research initiatives contribute to ongoing archaeological scholarship, making it a valuable resource for understanding the pre-colonial history of the Americas and the methods used to study ancient cultures.
Phone: (978) 749-4490
Cochran Wildlife Sanctuary
This 65-acre nature preserve on the Phillips Academy campus features a diverse ecosystem of woodlands, wetlands, and meadows that provide habitat for numerous plant and animal species. The sanctuary includes a network of well-maintained trails that wind through pine forests and around serene ponds, with bridges crossing streams and boardwalks traversing marshes, while also serving as an outdoor classroom for environmental education and scientific research, allowing visitors to experience the natural beauty of the New England landscape in a protected setting.
Phone: (978) 749-4000
The Hay Scales Building
Built in 1833, this small white clapboard and brick structure measuring just twelve by sixteen feet stands at the end of the North Andover Common at the corner of Andover and Osgood Streets. The building’s history is closely linked to 19th-century agricultural life in North Andover, as it once housed scales used to weigh hay and other farm products being brought to market, and despite its modest size, it represents an important element of the town’s agricultural heritage and commercial development during a period when farming was central to the local economy.
Phone: (978) 686-4035
Ballardvale Historic District
Established in the early 19th century as a manufacturing village centered around textile production, this district showcases a well-preserved industrial community with mill buildings, worker housing, and commercial structures. The district features the Ballardvale Mill complex with its iconic brick construction and the surrounding residential areas that developed to house factory workers, company managers, and business owners, representing different architectural styles from Greek Revival and Italianate to Victorian, all arranged in a cohesive settlement pattern that reflects the social hierarchy and planning principles of 19th-century industrial communities.
Phone: (978) 475-2236
Andover Memorial Library
Built in 1927 in the Colonial Revival style, this library serves as both an architectural landmark and a center for community learning and cultural activities. The building features a symmetrical façade with a prominent central entrance, classical detailing, and a copper-clad cupola, while the interior showcases impressive woodwork, period light fixtures, and a welcoming reading room, continuing its historic mission of public education while adapting to changing technologies and community needs through thoughtful renovations that respect its architectural integrity.
Phone: (978) 623-8400
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