North Andover Center Historic District
Also known as: Center Village; see also:Kittredge Mansion
Why it's listed
North Andover's old town center is a district of about seventy buildings gathered around a triangular common and the streets that converge on it. Once the heart of a farming community, it is mostly residential, with open land between the buildings. Seven early 19th century Federal houses line two sides of the common, and the district also includes Georgian, Greek Revival, Italianate, Mansard and Carpenter Gothic examples. The earliest building is the Parson Barnard House of 1715. Other landmarks include the Georgian Phillips Mansion of 1752, the Kittredge Mansion of 1784, the Brick Store of 1829, and the Carpenter Gothic North Parish Church of 1833, designed by Richard Bond of Boston. Two burying grounds hold fine 18th century stone carving. A statue of Phillips Brooks, who wrote the words to "O Little Town of Bethlehem," stands nearby. A row of late 19th century worker housing on Stevens Street was built for a woolen mill. Together the buildings show three centuries of the town's growth.
Significance in brief: The district is described as representing three centuries of North Andover history. It holds a concentrated collection of Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Mansard and Carpenter Gothic buildings, with open land, burying grounds and memorials. The significance statement is truncated, but review notes describe it as architectural and historical, with a historic town character marked by spaciousness.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79000336, listed March 5, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Osgood, Pleasant, Stevens, Johnson, and Andover Sts. and Wood Lane, North Andover |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 5, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000336 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Richard Bond of Boston (North Parish Church, 1833); Dr. Thomas Kittredge (Kittredge Mansion, 1784); Samuel Phillips (Phillips Mansion, 1752) |
| Architectural style | Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Mansard, Carpenter Gothic |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Largely residential and sparsely settled, with a few commercial buildings, two burying grounds and a community center. The form marks the district as altered, with some buildings stripped of original character. |
| Acreage | 122 |
| Coordinates | 42.68711, -71.11513 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79000336.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7053942
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.