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Andover, Maine
Main Street c. 1906
Main Street c. 1906
Official seal of Andover, Maine
Seal
Andover, Maine is located in Maine
Andover, Maine
Andover, Maine
Location in Maine
Andover, Maine is located in the United States
Andover, Maine
Andover, Maine
Location in the United States
Andover, Maine is located in North America
Andover, Maine
Andover, Maine
Location in North America
Country United States
State Maine
County Oxford
Incorporated 1804
Area
 • Total 57.46 sq mi (148.82 km2)
 • Land 57.42 sq mi (148.72 km2)
 • Water 0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation
669 ft (204 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 752
 • Density 14.3/sq mi (5.5/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
04216
Area code(s) 207
FIPS code 23-01325
GNIS feature ID 0582325

Andover is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 752 at the 2020 census. Set among mountains and crossed by the Appalachian Trail, Andover is home to the Lovejoy Covered Bridge and is the site of the Andover Earth Station.

History

The land which became known as Andover was originally purchased in 1788 by a group of proprietors mostly from Andover, Massachusetts. The original proprietors were Jonathan Abbot, Philip Abbott, Ebenezer Adams, Ingalls Bragg, Samuel Farnum, Samuel Johnson, Abiel Lovejoy, Benjamin Poor, Eben Poor, Jr., and Theodore Stevens, all of Andover, Massachusetts; John York of Bethel, Massachusetts; Joseph Frye of Fryeburg, Massachusetts; and Josiah Bean, Ezekiel Merrill, and Thomas Poor of Methuen, Massachusetts. The town was first settled in 1789 by Ezekiel Merrill and his family who were transported there from Bethel, Maine, in canoes managed by members of the local Pequawket tribe. The first saw-mill was built on the East Branch of the Ellis River by Col. Thomas Poor in 1791 and was used to provide the lumber for the still standing Merrill-Poor House.

The town was incorporated on June 23, 1804, as East Andover, and then renamed Andover in 1820 when Maine separated from Massachusetts.

Occupations for early inhabitants primarily included agriculture and lumbering. As the town developed, local factories made doors, sash, blinds, starch, cheese, boots, shoes, edge-tools, carriages, and harness. The town also had a tannery. Located on an intervale surrounded by mountains, Andover is noted for "its grand and beautiful scenery," with streams abounding in trout. After the Civil War, the town became a popular destination for sportsmen, especially fishermen attracted by the nearby Richardson Lakes. A hotel was built to accommodate the influx of tourists.

In 1960, Andover was selected to be site of the Andover Earth Station, completed in 1962. It was the location of the first live transatlantic television signal broadcast by satellite Telstar 1.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 57.46 square miles (148.82 km2), of which 57.42 square miles (148.72 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) is water. Crossed by the Appalachian Trail, Andover is drained by the Ellis River, a tributary of the Androscoggin River. The river is home to many fish and wildlife, from which avid hunters and fisherman try their luck.

The town is crossed by state routes 5 and 120. It borders the towns of Roxbury and Byron to the east, Rumford to the south, Newry to the southwest, Andover West Surplus to the west, and Andover North Surplus to the north.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Andover has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Climate data for Andover 2, Maine 1991–2020 normals: 822ft (251m)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 54
(12)
68
(20)
77
(25)
89
(32)
92
(33)
95
(35)
97
(36)
94
(34)
94
(34)
83
(28)
75
(24)
59
(15)
97
(36)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 43
(6)
46
(8)
54
(12)
75
(24)
82
(28)
87
(31)
89
(32)
87
(31)
83
(28)
72
(22)
62
(17)
48
(9)
90
(32)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 24.4
(−4.2)
27.7
(−2.4)
36.5
(2.5)
49.9
(9.9)
64.2
(17.9)
72.3
(22.4)
77.3
(25.2)
76.6
(24.8)
68.5
(20.3)
54.8
(12.7)
42.1
(5.6)
30.3
(−0.9)
52.0
(11.1)
Daily mean °F (°C) 14.0
(−10.0)
15.7
(−9.1)
25.7
(−3.5)
38.4
(3.6)
51.5
(10.8)
60.4
(15.8)
65.6
(18.7)
64.0
(17.8)
56.3
(13.5)
44.1
(6.7)
33.1
(0.6)
21.4
(−5.9)
40.9
(4.9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 3.5
(−15.8)
3.6
(−15.8)
14.8
(−9.6)
26.9
(−2.8)
38.8
(3.8)
48.5
(9.2)
53.9
(12.2)
51.3
(10.7)
44.1
(6.7)
33.4
(0.8)
24.0
(−4.4)
12.5
(−10.8)
29.6
(−1.3)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −12
(−24)
−9
(−23)
−6
(−21)
17
(−8)
28
(−2)
37
(3)
45
(7)
42
(6)
31
(−1)
23
(−5)
10
(−12)
−4
(−20)
−13
(−25)
Record low °F (°C) −30
(−34)
−20
(−29)
−16
(−27)
8
(−13)
23
(−5)
28
(−2)
39
(4)
35
(2)
26
(−3)
13
(−11)
0
(−18)
−17
(−27)
−30
(−34)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.41
(87)
2.71
(69)
3.48
(88)
4.54
(115)
4.37
(111)
5.38
(137)
4.75
(121)
4.33
(110)
4.02
(102)
5.88
(149)
4.48
(114)
4.28
(109)
51.63
(1,312)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 22.50
(57.2)
26.50
(67.3)
17.60
(44.7)
7.00
(17.8)
0.20
(0.51)
0.00
(0.00)
0.00
(0.00)
0.00
(0.00)
0.00
(0.00)
0.60
(1.5)
8.30
(21.1)
29.10
(73.9)
111.8
(284.01)
Source 1: NOAA
Source 2: XMACIS (temp records & monthly max/mins)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1810 271
1820 368 35.8%
1830 399 8.4%
1840 551 38.1%
1850 710 28.9%
1860 814 14.6%
1870 757 −7.0%
1880 780 3.0%
1890 740 −5.1%
1900 727 −1.8%
1910 757 4.1%
1920 767 1.3%
1930 788 2.7%
1940 757 −3.9%
1950 756 −0.1%
1960 762 0.8%
1970 791 3.8%
1980 850 7.5%
1990 953 12.1%
2000 864 −9.3%
2010 821 −5.0%
2020 752 −8.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 821 people, 385 households, and 253 families living in the town. The population density was 14.3 inhabitants per square mile (5.5/km2). There were 603 housing units at an average density of 10.5 per square mile (4.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.8% White, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 0.5% from two or more races.

There were 385 households, of which 20.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.57.

The median age in the town was 51.1 years. 15.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.5% were from 25 to 44; 35.3% were from 45 to 64; and 23.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.7% male and 49.3% female.

Sites of interest

AndoverME LovejoyBridge 2
Lovejoy Covered Bridge

Notable people

  • Charlie Akers, Olympic biathlete
  • Robert W. Duplessie, politician
  • Molly Ockett, Abenaki healer
  • John Orville Newton, principal and politician
  • Henry Varnum Poor, financial analyst
  • John A. Poor, lawyer, editor, and entrepreneur

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Andover (Maine) para niños

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