About
Andover Connecticut is a small New England town, of approximately 3,600 residents, nestled in the hills of Tolland County in Northeastern Connecticut. Andover is managed by a Board of Selectman guided by Town Meetings.
Several small rivers and streams flow through the town including, the Hop River, Burnap Brook, Staddle Brook, and the Skungamaug River. The Bear Swamp Brook runs through the Nathan Hale State Forest located in the northeast corner of town. The State owned Bishop’s Conservation Area is located in the southwest corner of the town and includes the 53 ac. Bishop Swamp (Jurovaty) Pond. Andover Lake is a 155 ac. private lake in the southeast corner that provides recreational opportunities to its members. The Doris Chamberlain Nature preserve with small pond and walking trails is located on Route 316 near School Road.
Andover’s rural character remains unspoiled with farmlands, stone walls, and historic homes dotting the landscape. The original Town Hall of 1893 can be seen from Route 6 near the intersection with Route 316. The Old Town Hall now houses the town museum that is operated by the Historical Society. The current Town Office building is located on School Road between the town’s firehouse and the elementary School.
Passing through Andover is the Hop River State Park Trail, a 6-mile gravel and compact earth trail that is part of the 3,000 mile East Coast Greenway. It connects the Bolton portion of the trail way system with the Columbia portion at the town lines. It passes through Andover along Route 6, providing residents with opportunities for walking, bicycling and equestrian uses. The Veteran’s Memorial Field provides residents with recreational fields for baseball, softball, soccer and football events.
The climate is typical of all southern New England. Low temperatures during winter can easily reach -10 degrees F, while temperatures of 100+ degrees in the summer time are all too common.
Settlement of the area began in the early 1700’s. By 1747 there were enough homesteads in the area to support an ecclesiastical society. The ecclesiastical society borders were the ones used 101 years later for the town. At the time of Andover’s incorporation as a town, it’s population was about 500. By the 21st century, the population grew to over 3,600 people. The town currently has over 1,100 housing units, most being single family dwellings.
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