Open Space and Recreation Plan - Town of North Andover

T O W N O F N O R T H A N D O V E R
O P E N S P A C E A N D R E C R E A T I O N P L A N 2 0 0 6
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Prehistoric Resources
Prior to European settlement, inland sites such as North Andover were used as seasonal hunting grounds in the
spring and fall and perhaps to till small gardens. Although no large-scale or town-wide archaeological survey
has been undertaken, certain inferences can be made from the available data. The Massachusetts Historical
Commission reports that a few archaeological sites have been unearthed along the present shoreline of Lake
Cochichewick. (Other sites likely exist on the original shoreline, which has since been flooded.) According to
information compiled by Ripley Bulen in “Excavations in Northeastern Massachusetts” (1949), over one
hundred prehistoric sites have been discovered in the Shawsheen and upper Ipswich River drainages. All of
these sites are along streams or ponds. Native people frequented water bodies since many of the fish, plants and
animals they sought could be found there. Rivers also provided transportation routes.
Considering the high percentage of prehistoric sites along water bodies, a site's archaeological potential should
be investigated when any waterfront site is considered for acquisition. Prehistoric sites are prone to
disturbance, vandalism and illegal excavation. Due to the sensitive nature of these sites, if any are discovered
the exact location should not be made public.
Historic Resources
North Andover includes a number of well preserved buildings and landscapes from the date of original
settlement in the 17 th Century through the 20 th Century. The Historic Commission has identified over 400
structures of historic interest (see also Stephen Roper, A Good In-Land Town: Buildings and landscapes in
North Andover, Massachusetts, from 1640 to 1940, published by the North Andover Historical Society in
2001). There are three (3) National Register Districts in town; the Old Center, with a surprising number of
existing structures from the early 19 th century commercial center of the North Parish; Machine Shop
Village, an unusually intact surviving example of a mid 19 th century factory village from the early years of
the industrial revolution; and Tavern Acres, an early 20 th Century residential development surrounding an
Olmstead-designed Memorial Park. Only one of these districts, the Old Center, is designated as a local
historic district, which offers some protection against altering its significant character. A listing on the
National and State Historic Register recognizes the value of the area and carries some protection from
projects involving public funds, but its value is chiefly educational.
In 1995, the town purchased Osgood Hill, an 1886 estate listed on the National Register with 159 acres of
land on Lake Cochichewick. Although there are several structures in town with historic preservation
restrictions held by the Historical Society, Historic New England and the Massachusetts Historical
Commission, most of the Town’s inventory of historic properties is relatively unprotected by law or
regulation.
Geologic Features
Previously noted, the most influential and distinctive features of the community and supplying enduring
evidence of continental glaciation are North Andover’s eight major hilltops or drumlins. Several have
undergone development in the absence of timely, pro-active measures to preserve them including Town Farm
Hill, Claypit Hill (not technically a drumlin), Barker Hill and portions of Woodchuck Hill. Permanently
protected drumlins are Weir Hill (Trustees of Reservations), Osgood Hill and Carter Hill (Town of North
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