Andover, Maine

Population: Approximately 972

Andover , Maine was settled by hardy pioneers who trekked through the woods and swamps almost 200 miles from Andover , Mass. It is located in the beautiful and scenic western Maine mountains, in a broad, flat valley through which flows the Ellis River and its tributaries. It is noted for its four-season recreation activities and the can-do spirit of its citizens.

Town Office

Hours: Mon, Tue, & Thur 8:00 am-1:00pm
Wednesday 1:00pm – 6:00pm

17 Stillman Road, P.O. Box 219
Andover, ME 04216
Tel: 207-392-3302
Fax: 207-392-1205
Email:andover@megalink.net

Library

Hours: T, W, Th, Sat 1-4pm
Thursday 6-8pm

Andover Public Library
46 Church Street
Andover, ME 04216
Tel: 207-392-4841

Town Meetings

Selectmen: First Tuesday of the month, 1:00 p.m., every Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. at the town hall.
Planning Board: First and Third Monday, 7:00 p.m. at the town hall.
Recreation Committee: Second Monday of the month, 7:00 p.m. at the town hall.
Selectmen Elections: March town meeting on the third Saturday in March at the town hall. Special town meetings when needed.

A Brief History of Andover, Maine

Andover, Maine was first settled in 1789 by Ezekiel Merrill, a Revolutionary War veteran, who came with his wife and seven children from Andover, Mass., having stopped along the way at Fryeburg and Bethel. He and his three sons drew their modest belongings on hand sleds through the woods on a trail spotted by the Indians. Later, Mrs. Sarah Merrill and the rest of the children were brought up the Ellis River in birch-bark canoes by the local Indians. Their daughter, Susan, was the first white child born in Andover, on July 13, 1790. The Merrill house, still owned by descendants of Ezekiel and Sarah Merrill, stands high on a hill on the east side of the Ellis River, about one-half mile east of the village. It was the location for a recent movie, “Myth of Fingerprints.”

Prominent Indians who helped the Merrills and other settlers become established were Mollockett and Natallock.

The second settler was Enoch Adams, a surveyer from Andover, Mass. He surveyed the town and copies of his original maps and records are held by the Andover Historical Society.

By 1791, other settlers started moving in, including John, Jonathan and Philip Abbott; Ingalls Bragg; Theodore Brickett; Jeremiah Burnham; Abiel Lovejoy; Benjamin, Ebenezer, Samuel, Sylvanus and Thomas Poor; Luther Rice; James Stevens; Francis Swan; Josiah Wright; and others from Andover, Mass. and surrounding towns. The first mill was erected in 1791 by Colonel Thomas Poor at Andover Falls. The first church was formed in 1804, and in 1806, the first settled minister was the Reverend John Strickland.

Because Maine was a part of Massachusetts at that time, Andover, Maine was incorporated as East Andover, Mass. on June 23, 1804. It became Andover, Maine on June 13, 1820 after Maine became a state, and is located in Oxford, County, which was established March 4, 1805.

The first settlers were farmers and woodsmen. Farming has declined in popularity, but forest products are a mainstay of the economy. Several wood-working mills are located in town, and many local citizens work for or supply pulp wood to The Mead Corp., which is located in nearby Rumford.

Tourism is also an important part of the economy. Andover offers four-season recreation, including hunting, fishing, boating, skiing, snow mobiling, hiking on the Appalachian Trail, which passes through the western edge of town, and just plain sight-seeing.

Andover has two churches, two general stores, two restaurants, three B & Bs, a mail order XC ski shop, a race car manufacturing shop, several other small businesses and one very photogenic covered bridge.