Seniors Visit Phillips Academy

This senior read recently that Jeb Bush, George Bush, Dr. Spock, and Oliver Wendell Holmes among a long list of other famous people, all attended Phillips Academy, established in 1778 in Andover (pop. 34,000). I knew of the fame of the Academy as years back I was a teacher (they called me a Master) at a private secondary academy in Minnesota.

Today there are just over 1,100 students who attend the Academy, the oldest and most prestigious independent secondary “prep” school in the country. The Academy is a co-ed, independent day  and boarding school.

The campus is well worth a visit. John G. Palfrey, Head of the Academy, points out that…” We often point to the achievements of Andover alumni – an extraordinary group of bridge builders, entrepreneurs, public servants, inventors, artists, performers, and leaders in nearly any field you can think of.” Historically, Samuel Phillips Jr., the Academy’s founder, provided gunpowder from his Andover factory for Revolutionary War troops.

 Seniors Find Andover Near Boston

Senior travelers will find Andover, in Essex County, 23 miles north of Boston. The city is situated on the banks of the Merrimack River, one of the larger waterways in the New England region that has helped define the livelihood and culture of those living along it since native times.

There is always lots of history associated with the east coast of the US and Andover is a prime example. It was settled in 1636 under the Native American name of Cochichawicke, a local waterway and incorporated in 1646. Today the town is known as the “Home of America.”

 If you follow this travel blog daily, you are well aware of my leaning on TripAdvisor for providing information on what to see and do in areas all over the world. So it is with Andover.  The American Gallery of American Art rates #1 in town.

The Gallery’s collection of American art is one of the most comprehensive in the world, including more than 17,000 objects spanning the 18th century to the present.

Thomas Cochran created the Addison Gallery of American Art at Phillips Academy in 1931 as the most extraordinary of his many gifts to the school.

 Senior Birders and Hikers Enjoy the Area

The Ward Reservation is a 704-acre open space reserve and a favorite spot for senior visitors to check out  hayfields, hilltops, wetlands, creeks, swamps, and woodlands.

If you are into hiking, the Bay Circuit Trail awaits your footsteps…lots of them, as it runs from the north shore to the south shore of Massachusetts covering close to 200 miles. Senior birders, only 0.68 miles from Andover city center, is the Andover Bird Sanctuary (Moncrieff Cochran Sanctuary). 

Seniors, stop in Andover and spend time enjoying all that the town has to offer. You may just want to make the town your target for exploring the entire historic northern Massachusetts region. -jeb