Andover dates to 1642, and 23% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 97% of U.S. towns · #57 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
48 places in town are on the National Register, among them seven historic districts with 637 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1886 on and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1795.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Andover’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Andover is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns, #57 of 283 in Massachusetts. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Andover’s overall grade.
Massachusetts towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Massachusetts town has 46.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Andover’s 190 sits above most of its state (75% of Massachusetts towns have fewer) while its 698 historic buildings outnumber those of 98% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share (±2.5 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1642.
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Andover’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Native Americans inhabited what is now northeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years prior to European colonization of the Americas. At the time of European arrival, Massachusett and Naumkeag people inhabited the area south of the Merrimack River and Pennacooks inhabited the area to the north. The Massachusett referred to the area that would later be renamed Andover as Cochichawick. Cochichawick was transferred to English settlers on May 16, 1649, by the Sagamore of the Massachusett, Cutshamache. He sold the land known as Cochichawick to Mr. John Woodbrige for the price of 6 pounds and a coat, which he had already received, as well as an agreement that the Massachusett people be allowed to catch alewives in the Cochichawick River.
Passages that mention Andover, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Historical sketches of Andover, (comprising the present towns of North Andover and Andover)1880 · page 11Read the page →
Read the text
| Andover was incorporated May 6, 1646. It was named for the town of Andover, in Hants County, England, which had been the home of some of its principal settlers.| The following extract from a letter written by a resident of Andover, England, to a gentleman of our town a few years ago, gives an idea of the mother town as compared with the daughtele “T find that Andover, in America, is of more importance than
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Historical sketches of Andover, (comprising the present towns of North Andover and Andover)1880 · page 475Read the page →
Read the text
We now turn to the contemporary ministers of the Third Parish of Andover, which was created in 1826. In 1771, when there was talk of building a new meeting-house in the South Parish, some members were desirous to be set off to form a new parish. They represented that they were five or six miles from the meeting-house, and were unwilling to be taxed to pay for the building of a new house of worship, unless it could be located so as to accommodate them better.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Andover. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1886Lawrence sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Andover.
Every building
Andover, building by building, 1892–1930
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
In 1642, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Andover’s post office opened in 1795, and the first U.S. census counted 2,863 people here in 1790.
How does Andover rank for history?
Andover is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns, #57 of 283 in Massachusetts. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Andover?
48 listings: 41 buildings, among them the Benjamin Abbot House (listed 1975, the first), and 7 historic districts with 637 contributing buildings. 698 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Andover?
23% of Andover’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.5 points), against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town; the median home was built in 1973.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikidata (6), the National Register of Historic Places (48), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
