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A Brief History of Andover
A Brief History of Andover
1778 Gunpowder Mill
Early in the Revolutionary War, the grandson of South Parish’s first minister, Samuel Phillips, Jr, saw the need for gunpowder and set up a gunpowder mill located on the Shawsheen River near the junction of what is now North Main Street and Stevens Street. Phillips recruited friend and trained chemist Eliphalet Pearson to assist with the operation. The new mill ran day and night producing 1,200 pounds of ammunition for the Continental Army.
Unfortunately, General George Washington was unimpressed by the quality of the gun powder and sent it back to the Andover mill. Phillips found skilled British prisoners of war and put them to work manufacturing a better quality gun powder. Local residents feared the combination of enemies and gun powder in their midst. June 1, 1778 an explosion at the mill killed three men and partially destroyed the mill. The state sent Phillips money to rebuild the mill.
At the end of the war, Phillips turned to the far less risky business of producing paper.
Reference: Juliet Haines Mofford, Andover Massachusetts: Historical Selections from Four Centuries
Samuel Phillips, Jr.
Samuel Phillips, Jr.
Preserving the pastEducating for the future
Connecting with our community
Preserving the past
Educating for the future
Connecting with our community
Andover Center for History & Culture
97 Main Street
Andover, MA 01810
978-475-2236
Andover Center for History & Culture
97 Main Street
Andover, MA 01810
978-475-2236
The History Center is funded by individual, foundation, and corporate donations and receives no Town of Andover funding.
Show your commitment to Andover's history by donating today.
The History Center is funded by individual, foundation, and corporate donations and receives no Town of Andover funding.
Show your commitment to Andover's history by donating today.
Show your commitment to Andover's history by donating today.
