Ballardvale (sometimes written archaically as ''BallardVale'' or ''Ballard Vale'') is a village located within the boundaries of the town of

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia *Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Andov ...

, Essex County,

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Growing originally in the 19th century around mills located on the Shawsheen River, the village is a local historic district, boasting many varieties of historic architecture and a rich industrial heritage.

History

In the 18th century, the Shawsheen River and its water power attracted the Ballard Family, who came and built grist and saw mills. At this time the area became known as Ballard's Vale, eventually Ballardvale. In 1836, John and William Marland established the Ballardvale Manufacturing Company. The company produced the first wool worsted made in America, as well as the first wool flannel. Additional mills were built and shoes, carriages, locomotives, and stoneware pottery were also made in Ballard Vale. However, it was white flannels that made the village famous: Ballard Vale white flannels won prizes at the Columbian and Louisiana Purchase expositions. By 1848, two mills, the Ballardvale Manufacturing Company and Whipple File Company, a factory-owned store, a schoolhouse, a railroad depot and houses were nestled in the Vale. Streets were laid out and previously undeveloped land was subdivided into house lots and many residences were built. The village continued to revolve around manufacturing for many years, until the mid-20th century when most manufacturing, especially fabric mills, moved out of

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

Shawsheen River

The Shawsheen River has always played an important role in Ballardvale, powering its earliest mills. The Ballardvale Millpond and dam on Andover Street are focal points of the area. By the start of the 20th century, Ballardvale had become a center for river outings. Couples paddled canoes along the Shawsheen or took rides on the motor yacht William Ballard. The river remains popular with canoeists. A prominent access point is adjacent to the dam. Today the Shawsheen River Reservation, owned and operated by the Andover Village Improvement Society (A.V.I.S.), runs along the river from the village towards central Andover. The reservation is designed both to preserve natural resources and to provide space for passive reservation, such as walking. The Shawsheen River is home to many animals like geese, swans, and many kinds of fish.

Historic architecture

Ballardvale is home to many fine examples of 19th-century architecture. Styles represented include

Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century It ...

, and Queen Anne style Victorian. Historic homes include both those originally occupied by mill workers as well as mill owners. Ballardvale is a locally recognized Historic District, with specialized zoning regulating changes made to properties in the area.

Transportation

The railroad has always been important to Ballardvale, with a rail line running north–south through the village. Local as well as distance trains ran through the village starting on July 3, 1848. According to Boston & Maine railroad reports, a 'large and commodious station house' was built. In 1881, 56 feet of the original 135 feet of the station was turned 90 degrees and moved to 174 Andover Street, where it still exists. This portion of the station remained the property of B&M railroad until 1925. The other 78 feet was torn down around 1950. Today " Ballardvale" is a stop on the Haverhill line of the commuter rail operated by the

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...

(MBTA). Pan Am Railways freight trains also run regularly through the village. There is a gated railroad crossing at the intersection of Andover and Tewksbury Streets.

Interstate 93 Interstate 93 (I-93) is an Interstate Highway in the New England states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont in the United States. Spanning approximately along a north–south axis, it is one of three primary Interstate Highways ...

passes through Ballardvale, with one exit serving the village directly at Dascomb Road. This exit also serves Andover proper and Tewksbury.

Other village features

Despite being located within the larger town of Andover, Ballardvale is still a functioning village, with its own local resources. A U.S. Post Office, fire station, pizza parlor, and retail shops are all located along Andover Street. The village is home to two churches. The historic St. Joseph's on High Vale Street, built in 1881, is a "mission church" of St. Augustine's in downtown Andover, and remains open for Sunday Mass. Ballardvale United, on Clark Road, was formed in 1955 after the union of two smaller churches, the Union Congregational Church and Methodist Episcopal Church. The Ballardvale Green is a small park located at the intersection of Andover Street and Center Street. Across the way is a large playground, where generations of children have played. The site was for many years occupied by a large public boarding house. Located around the corner on Clark Road, the Burns Reservation, owned and operated by the Andover Village Improvement Society (A.V.I.S.) is tract of undeveloped woods and wetland. The Union Congregational Church still stands, though it has been altered by multiple fires. In the 1970s it was used as a paint/hardware store. After another fire it was rebuilt as a residence.

References