Andover

Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was settled in 1642 and incorporated in 1646. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,569. It is located 20 miles (32 km) north of Boston and 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Lawrence. Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Andover. Andover is twinned with its namesake: Andover, Hampshire, England. In 1705, Andover's population had begun to move south and the idea of a new house in south of town was proposed. This was strongly opposed by the people living near the original meeting house, but the dispute was finally settled in 1709 when the General Court divided Andover into two parishes, South and South. The first recorded town meeting was held in 1656 in the home of settler John Osgood in what is now North Andover and the name was likely chosen in honor of the English town. In 1692, three Andover residents, Martha Carrier, Mary Parker, and Samuel Wardwell, were convicted and executed. Five others either pleaded guilty at arraignment or were convicted at trial: Ann Foster, Mary Lacey Sr., and Abigail Faulkner Sr. The names of those who were convicted in the episode were reversed in 1703 by Governor Joseph Wardder on the petitions of the convicted residents. The name Andover was changed to Andover in 1705.

History

Andover is one of the largest towns in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Andover was named in honor of the town of Andover in England, which was near the original home of some of the first residents. Three Andover residents, Martha Carrier, Mary Parker, and Samuel Wardwell, were convicted and executed in the 1692 Salem witch trials. In 1713, in response to petitions initiated in 1703, Massachusetts Governor Joseph Dudley reversed the attainder on the names of those who were convicted in the episode. In 1855, Andover divided into two political units according to the old boundaries. The name Andover is assumed by the name West Andover by the Massachusetts General Court in 1826. The first recorded town meeting was held in 1656 in the home of settler John Osgood in what is now North Andover. Contrary to popular belief, the towns split due to the location of the Old North Church, also located in the north of the early town. The old burying ground in what are now North and South Andover marks the center of theEarly town was called Cochichawick. The Massachusett referred to the area that would later be renamed Andover as CochichAWick. In May 1646 the settlement was incorporated as a town and was named Andover, which is still the name of the original town today. The town was once the largest town in Massachusetts, but it is now the second largest in the state, after Cambridge. It is located on the banks of the Merrimack River.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 32.1 square miles (83.2 km²), of which 31.0 sq miles (80.3 km²) is land. Andover contains the westernmost point of Essex County, along the Merrimack River. It is bordered by Lawrence to the north, North Andover to the northeast, North Reading and Wilmington to the south, Tewksbury to the southwest. The town is also home to the Harold Parker State Forest, the Trustees of Reservations' Charles W. Ward Reservation, as well as a very small portion of Lawrence's Den Rock Park. Other notable reservations in the town include the Harold R. Rafton Reservation and the Deer Jump Reservation (along the banks of theMerrimack) Andover's town center is located approximately four miles south of the center of Lawrence, and is 22 miles (35 km) north of Boston and 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Manchester, New Hampshire. It also borders Methuen to the east, but the boundary separation is formed by the Merimack River, which constitutes half of the town's northern border. The Town of Andover is home to many glacial features including drumlins, eskers, and glacial erratics. In the summer, Andover has a reputation for being a hotbed of illegal activity, especially among young people. In 2010, the city had more than 2,000 arrests.

Transportation

Andover is the location of the intersection of Interstate 93 and Interstate 495. The town is also served by Route 28, which serves as the main road from north to south through town, as well as Route 133 and Route 125. Andover has two stops, Ballardvale and Andover along the Haverhill/Reading Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail, providing rail service to Boston's North Station. The nearest small plane service is at Lawrence Municipal Airport in North Andover, and national service can be found at both Logan International Airport and ManchesterBoston Regional Airport, both within thirty miles of the town. Several routes of the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority and Route 10 on Lowell Regional transit Authority also service the town, including a weekday commuter bus to Boston. The former Boston and Maine Railroad station, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is also near the town's Third Railroad Station, a former rail station which is also on the Register of historic places. It is located on the Massachusetts Turnpike, which runs from Boston to New York City. It was built in the 1880s as part of the Boston and New York Railroad, and is one of the oldest rail stations in the United States. The station was built to connect Boston with the city's eastern suburbs, and has been in service since the early 20th century. It has since been converted into a housing development, the Andover Center, which was completed in the 1930s. The Third Railroad station was also the site of the first train station in Massachusetts.

Demographics

Andover had 217 residents who filed as making at least $1 million in 2011, accounting for one millionaire per every 157 people. The average income for millionaires in Andover was $2,441,000. Using income and other demographic data, Andover ranked 37 out of 490 in a ranking of wealthiest zipcodes in Massachusetts. The median income for a household in the town was $118,324, the median family income was $144,685, and 2.6% of families and 4.2% of the population, including 3.7% of people aged under 18 years and 5.8% of those aged 65 and over, were below the poverty line. The town's population was 31,247 at the census of 2000, with 11,590 housing units at an average density of 144.3 persons/km² (373.8 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town is 91.60% White, 0.75% African American, 5.73% Asian,0.04% Pacific Islander, and 0.99% from two or more races. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.8 per cent under the age of 18, 4.7 per cent from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 26.8 percent from 45 to 64, and 12.3 per cent who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 92.9 males.

Economy

Andover hosts regional offices for many multinational corporations such as Schneider Electric, Pfizer, Raytheon Technologies, and Philips. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has the Andover Campus service center, which for many years accepted tax forms from several neighboring states. In late 2009, the U.S. General Services Administration received money through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to fund the $85 million green modernization of the 1967 building complex. The federal employee's union, National Treasury Employees Union, in mid-2009 pushed for special consideration under the Troubled Asset Relief Program for employees threatened with losing jobs. There are several companies headquartered in Andover. One of many companies, Mercury Systems, is included in the S&P 400 Index. Another, Vicor Corporation, is a part of the  S&P 600 Index. Andover is home to the University of Massachusetts-Andover, which is a member of the prestigious Drexel Institute of Technology. It is also the home of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, which was founded in 1875. The University of Pennsylvania has a chapter of the American College of Arts and Sciences, which opened in 1881. It was the first college of its kind in the United States, and is one of the oldest colleges in the country. The university has a history of more than 100 years. It also has a business incubator, which began in the early 20th century. It has been named after a former president of the college.

Government

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass a bill that would allow women to run for president. The Senate voted against the measure, which would have meant women could not run for office. The bill was defeated on a vote of no confidence in the Senate. The House voted in favor of allowing women to stand for election. The vote was a no-confidence vote, which means women would not be allowed to run. The measure was approved by the Senate, which meant that women would be barred from running for president for a third time. The decision was made by the House, which voted to approve the measure. The U.N. voted against it, and the Senate voted to reject it, meaning that women could run for President for the first time in 30 years. The result was a No. 4 vote, with the Senate voting for a second time in 20 years. It was the first vote in the history of the United States for women to be allowed in the House of Reps. The move was made in response to a Senate vote that had been held by President George W. Bush, who had previously voted against a woman running for the seat. The seat was previously held by a woman, who was married to a man who had served two terms in Congress. The next vote would have been for a woman to run, but she was denied the seat because of her husband's political ties to the White House. This time, the vote was for a man, who served three terms.

Public safety

The Andover Police Department provides full-time general law enforcement for the town. The town is also served by Troop A of the Massachusetts State Police, operating out of the Andover barracks (A-1) The Andover Fire-Rescue department has three full- time stations and maintains 4 engines, 2 ladder trucks, 4 ambulances, and 2 forest fire units. 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, and homes were evacuated. Dozens of people were injured and one 18-year-old Lawrence resident was killed. At the conclusion of the event, over 70 houses suffered from gas-related explosions in the And over-Lawrence area. In the town of Andover, there are about 4,000 residents. The population is about 3,000. The city has a population of about 2,000, with the majority of residents living in the central part of the town and the remainder in the south and northeastern parts of the city. There are about 1,500 residents living outside of the central area, including 1,200 residents in the towns of Lawrence, Cambridge, and Andover. The largest city in the state is Cambridge, Massachusetts, with 2,400 residents. In Andover there are around 1,000 people living outside the central region. The most populous city is Boston, with 1,300 residents.

Arts and culture

Andover is home to the second oldest land preservation society in the country, the Andover Village Improvement Society (AVIS), which controls over 1,100 acres (4.5 km²) Andover is the site of a large factory owned by Raytheon, the builder of the Patriot Missile. The Addison Gallery of American Art on the Phillips Academy campus is open to the public. The Andover Inn is an inn on thePhillips Academy campus. The town is also home to a historical mill district and current business park, and Lebanon maintains an honorary consulate on North Main Street, near the Lawrence line near the And over train station. Andover's state forest is located on the border between Andover, Middleton and North Reading. It is the home of Andover High School, a prep school founded in 1778 with many famous alumni. It also hosts the American Museum of Natural History, a museum of American art, and the American Institute of Architects, which was founded in 1805. It was the home to President Theodore Roosevelt, who was born in Andover and died in Washington, D.C. in 1913. It has a national park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a state forest, which has a National Park Service Ranger Station. It's also the location of the New England Shakespeare Festival, which runs through the end of the year in the town's historic district. The city has a number of historic buildings, including the Chandler-Bigsby-Abbot House, which dates back to 1673, and is the oldest house in town.

Education

The state of Massachusetts is home to many public and private schools. Public schools include public schools, private schools, and higher education schools. The state's public schools are mostly elementary and middle schools. Private schools include private schools and law schools. Massachusetts is also home to the Shawsheen Preschool Program and the Massachusetts School of Law. Massachusetts has one of the highest levels of higher education in the United States, with more than 1,000 law schools and 1,200 private law schools in the state. Massachusetts also has the highest level of public education, with over 1,100 public schools and more than 700 private schools in Massachusetts. The U.S. Department of Education has more than 2,000 public schools in its system, including more than 100 public schools. In addition, the state has a number of private schools for pre-k-12, pre-K-8, and high schools for high school and post-graduates. The school system also has a private school program for the pre- Kindergarten through 12th grade, and a Montessori program for grades 912 and 912 (Post-Grad) The state also has two private high schools, the Andover School for Law and the Phillips Academy for Post-Graduates. It also has one private high school for post- grads, the Greater Lawrence Technical School for 912. It has a public high school that serves grades K8-9 and a private private school for grades 10-12.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts = 36.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 13. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Andover = 3.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 4,806 individuals with a median age of 45.3 age the population grows by 2.81% in Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,179.6 residents per square mile of area (455.4/km²). There are average 2.2 people per household in the 3,601 households with an average household income of $71,732 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.10% of the available work force and has dropped -4.07% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 24.76%. The number of physicians in Andover per 100,000 population = 202.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Andover = 42 inches and the annual snowfall = 46 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 111. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 201. 83 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 16.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 51, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts which are owned by the occupant = 56.60%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 61 years with median home cost = $513,020 and home appreciation of -3.47%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $11.64 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $8,270 per student. There are 12.9 students for each teacher in the school, 303 students for each Librarian and 293 students for each Counselor. 4.65% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 29.07% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 27.99% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).