The Town of North Andover is located in Essex County in the northeastern part of Massachusetts on the banks of the Merrimack River and approximately 24 miles from Boston. North Andover is bordered by the towns of Andover, North Reading, Boxford, and Middleton and the cities of Methuen, Haverhill, and Lawrence - covering almost 27 square miles.

Reverend John Woodbridge paid to Indian Chief Cutshmache six pounds and a coat for Cochichewick Plantation in 1646. The Great Seal of the Town of North Andover depicts Lake Cochichewick meaning "place of great cascades". This was soon changed to Andover in honor of Andover, England, the birthplace of the original freeholders. The dispute over location of church sites came before the General Court in 1709 and the North Parish and South Parish were established.

The growth of the two different communities of interest led finally to the separation of the two parishes on April 7, 1855, into two distinct townships. North Andover has always cherished its North Parish roots. Anne Bradstreet became America’s first published woman poet in the 1650. This remarkable woman of frail health raised eight children in the wilderness and died in North Andover in 1672. The Stevens Memorial Library houses this comprehensive collection. The North Parish Church was the Town’s original meeting place and is the focal point of our "Old Center".